Over the last few weeks Arras People has been dissecting and writing about the project management recruitment process on the Camel Blog, providing advice, hints and tips on how any project management jobseeker can improve their job hunting tactics (links available at the end of the article).  Why? Well one thing that has become painfully obvious over the last eighteen months is just how difficult and frustrating finding a new position has been for many in the project management field.

In this article we look at each part of the recruitment process and give an insight to how all parties in the process may work. The objective of this insight is to help you understand why some things happen, what you can do about it and more importantly to identify those things you can't control which always add to the frustration.

Let's start at the beginning with the application process.

Application Process

For the jobseeker the application process should be about having a strategy, knowing where to look for new positions; being sure in your own mind which roles you're going to go for and planning how you're going to make that approach. Differentiation is key, and one important aspect is ensuring your CV is up to date and is doing the job it is supposed to do - giving the reader an insight into who you are, what skills and experiences you possess and what you can do for them if they hire you. It can be a frustrating process, no doubt these questions are all too familiar - why don't I receive any responses to my applications? Why aren't job descriptions and details about the post thorough and detailed enough for me to make a decent application? Why don't I get called about jobs I applied for? What am I doing wrong?

Let's look at the other people in the process - the recruitment agencies and the employer organisations that are looking for their next project management professional, and why certain things happen.

• The employing organisation has identified a need and advertised the new role; without the right internal approvals the role might be removed from the marketplace at any point in the process. That's why some roles you apply for never come to anything.

• An organisation may decide to advertise a new role directly (through the national press, online job boards and their own websites) or use recruitment agencies or indeed both. That's why you will see the same job advertised in many different places by different organisations. As a rule, just apply through one of the routes on offer.

• When an organisation advertises a role directly they can opt for a number of different ways in which someone can apply for a role; send a CV, complete an application form etc. Application forms make it easier for an organisation to shortlist based on like for like applications and perform competency based profiling. Applications made through application forms are generally better for the jobseeker, sure it takes more time but you give a better, informed and thorough response.

• Job specifications don't make great advertisements; often an organisation's job description will run to 8 or 10 pages - all great information for a job seeker to read through but not great for attracting people to apply. Many organisations lack the skill to condense the real requirements of a role and turn this into a meaningful advert which will attract the right calibre of applicant. This can lead to frustration on all levels as the "specification" may be too open or closed.

• Recruitment agency advertisements can be also be poor and lacking in any kind of detail which allows you, the very person they want to attract, to make a well informed decision on whether this is the right role for you and whether you have the skills they're looking for. There can be many reasons for this including the fact that they don't want other recruitment agencies guessing who their clients are and making a direct approach for the job. They may also lack the skills to interpret the requirement and just copy and paste from an organisation's internal job specification. Worse still the client may be "too busy" to brief the agency on the real requirement! As a consequence we see many adverts which bear no relation to real positions on offer - there's no context

• Advertised roles can vary greatly in their popularity, some can attract hundreds of applications whilst others may attract none. Whatever the scenario that's still not an excuse for not communicating with a jobseeker even if they were unsuccessful - it's just laziness and bad customer service, so cross them off your list and choose other organisations instead.

• Letting a job seeker know they are not going to be shortlisted for a position is not the same as giving feedback as to why they weren't successful; it's generally recognised to be unreasonable for job seekers to expect any organisation to give you personal feedback on your application - interview, yes, application, no.

Short listing Process

The stage of the process where your application has made it passed the first gateway; the organisation is interested in you or the recruitment agency thinks you meet some of the key criteria. Remember, it's just a paper fit at the moment; you still need to add in those important criteria such as personality, communication skills, professionalism, etc before being selected for interview.

• Agency screening interviews can vary significantly from a short checklist/tick-in-the-box Q&A to a more detailed examination into your experiences. Even if you don't think much of the recruitment consultant asking the questions, keep it professional, upbeat and enthusiastic, it's more than just another hoop to jump through on the way to getting an interview. Remember they own the process!
• More and more organisations are opting for telephone interviews before inviting candidates in for a face to face meeting. Telephone interviews are just as important as the main thing - they're looking to see if there are enough matches on the key criteria of the role, that you come across well, and to gain insight into why you applied for the position. They're also looking to avoid wasting everyone's time if you're not a good fit.
• Now is an ideal time to get sight of the more detailed job description, and if it's a recruitment agency you're dealing with, the name of the organisation who are recruiting. There is no excuse good enough for agencies not to tell you the company name at this stage, if it is refused, walk away.

Interview Process

Making it through to the interview stage should be deemed a success and you deserve a pat on the back after all your hard work in putting together a good application pack. You know that the organisation thinks you are a good fit for their business and now you've been asked to show what you can do for them. Performing well in interviews is a combination of a number of factors; good planning, research, knowing who you are and what you do, communication, confidence, enthusiasm, etc.

• An interview can't be prepared for without the full job specification (including personal specification), company name and any insider information on areas like company culture and ethos. Use your recruitment agency to your advantage - ask for all materials available, interviewers' names, ask for an interview preparation session, if a presentation is required; bounce ideas off your agent and ask them to review it. Remember, your agent knows the individuals who will be interviewing you so make sure you have this information too. After all they have a mutual interest in you being successful!
• When you receive the call about the interview being scheduled directly from an organisation you have applied to, be ready with a list of questions. Often you're so happy at being selected for interview that important questions get overlooked. Remember the 5 W and H; who, what, where, when, why, how. Who will be there? Who do you report to on arrival? What format will the interview take? What are you expected to bring? What tests will there be? Where do I need to go? When will I need to be there? How will the interview be carried out? It is also another chance to make an impression!
• Even at this late stage, new positions can be pulled and interviews cancelled. This can happen because those approvals were never sorted out at the beginning of the process, as the organisation gets nearer to hiring a lot more people become involved in the process (HR, line managers, departmental managers etc) and stones start to become unturned. There's nothing you can do in this situation apart from stay in touch and see if the decision is reversed.
• It is too common to hear of people attending interviews who then receive no feedback on their performance and it is totally unacceptable. It's easier to obtain feedback from public sector organisations due to their own recruitment policies and procedures which dictate interviewed candidates will receive feedback. Keep pressing the HR department until you receive it.
• Feedback after your interview when using a recruitment agency can be hit and miss and it's not purely down to the recruitment agency. Often an organisation's feedback will be based on the person who was successfully hired and your comparison to them rather than personal feedback on your performance. Sometimes the hiring organisation doesn't provide feedback at all - they've made a successful hire so all their energies are focused on that. If you want to challenge this status quo of recruitment, be persistent, polite and don't give up until you receive it.

If you're interested in further advice about looking for a project management position or need help in areas like project management interviews, take a look at the Project Management Recruitment Ideas blog pieces from the Camel.

In today's marketplace most candidates we engage with are working two well trodden paths when looking for a new position - the online job boards such as Monster and company website's or career portals; but are they missing a trick?

It is suggested by some commentators that as many as 70% of jobs are never advertised! The actual percentage number ranges quite considerably, but one thing we can be certain of is that many roles are filled through this route. OK, roles in the public sector have (are supposed?) to be open to all, whilst private sector employers always have more freedom; whatever the sector there are still many hiring managers who prefer a recommendation or a targeted approach to wading through hundreds of applicants after posting an advert on the web.

We see examples of this all the time, even for roles where recruitment companies are involved or where there is a solid HR recruitment process that must be adhered to! If the hiring manager feels they have identified the right candidate, they will generally remove all obstacles to getting that person on the payroll!

So how do we tap into these opportunities? There are a number of different approaches that can be taken into consideration, but be warned, they require effort, planning, research and some cases getting out of your comfort zone. Choosing a different path from the masses is not easy - if it was, everyone would be doing it.

Organisation Referral Schemes

Many organisations in recent times have decided to use their own employees to push their recruitment campaigns; referral fees have been on offer for any employee who recommends friends, family or past colleagues who they then hire.  Think about your own network, both past and present and be prepared to step up your efforts to find out who in your network may have access to the organisation / role that you want.

Wider Networking

Good old fashioned face to face networking can't be ignored; it works! It works because it's all about widening your own network and when your own network is larger it follows that there are more opportunities to be farmed. You may gain insight into a company that has an open opportunity, a possible opportunity or referrals and recommendations. Sometimes the power is a simple as someone "just putting a good word in" for you.  More recently there has been a rise in online or social networking (more information below on how to get involved in social networking) but still it is not as effective as a face to face event. 

Ask yourself, when was the last time I went to a project management event, seminar, conference or exhibition? If it's been a while, your network will probably be a little on the small side or full of the same old faces.

Book on to your next event and be prepared; effective networking starts before you arrive. Make sure you have your business cards ready (if you're not working, consider investing a few pounds on the business card machines available on the high street). If possible, see if an attendee list is available beforehand (you can plan who you would like to speak to). Remember that networking is a two way street; it's much more effective if you have something to offer a contact rather than just wanting something from them.

It's also an opportunity for you to follow up afterwards, so make sure you take that business card and make a quick note on the back (who they were and what action you're going to follow up with. Networking situations can be daunting for some; walking into a room full of strangers, not too sure who to approach or what to say. All I can advise is deep breathe and open with the usual conversation starter; "what brings you here today." The only other piece of advice is how to break away from a conversation; you don't want to end up talking to just one or two people, the goal is to have as many effective conversations as you can. Around five minutes is a good time to break off, get a coffee and have a walk around to find your next contact. 

Have a practice; come along to the Best Practice Showcase on the 24^th June in London, it's free to attend and over 500 project management professionals will be in attendance.

Targeted Research

You can target the organisations you want to work for directly rather than wait for the organisation to release vacancies; many line managers will look at the good speculative CVs they received directly before advertising a position. This approach works well when you have really targeted organisations well and you know they will need your kind of skills and experience in the future. Before commencing you need to be clear about who you are and what you have to offer; practice the 30 second pitch that tells anyone you come into contact with; who you are and what you can do. Don't try and be everything to everyone - if it's clear, concise and to the point you will leave the right first impressions.

You can approach this in a number of ways; draw up a list of 10 companies you would like to work for or draw up a list of 10 local companies (don't overlook the SME market!) that interest you. Start researching them; start with the websites and press releases then hone your research to concentrate on the project management elements of their business. Start locating people on social media sites first like LinkedIn; look for HR contacts and project management line managers. Pick up the phone and call the organisation; start with HR department first and find out if they're hiring or likely to be hiring in the near future. Try and find out the line managers details so you can follow up directly.

Engage an Agent

Yes, that's right! We hear about agents in all walks of life working on behalf of their clients, footballers, writers, actors so why not a PPM practitioner? Sometimes you may come across an opportunity that you can not progress as the hiring organisation will only deal with an agency. In these cases you need to turn the normal process on its head and select somebody you trust to represent you. Most recruitment agents would welcome you with open arms if you have a potential "in" with a client where they can make a fee for either permanent placements or a margin on a contractor. Choose carefully though, making sure that they can sell your value and will represent you for a fee that will not potentially blow the opportunity. Call round a few and have the discussion, who knows it may even open up other opportunities along the way.

The Invisible Candidate

Finally, there has been a whole book dedicated to hidden vacancies called The Invisible Candidate by Anthony Haley, we reviewed the book back in August 2009. The whole book is dedicated to tapping into hidden vacancies and details how to research, how to find the right people within organisations you want to work within, how to make that first call and right through to interviews, testing and the job offer. It's a recommended read for anyone who wants to seriously tap into this hidden market but again be warned it requires time, effort and confidence as some of the techniques do, in effect, involve cold calling.

Tapping into the hidden vacancy market can take time and dedication; sometimes you might not hear back or feel like you're making much progress but perseverance will pay off if you keep to a plan of action and keep the cycle of activity flowing.

For further articles on project management recruitment - visit the Camel for Q&A Project Management Careers

Author: Jason Fried, David Heinemeier Hansson
Publisher: Vermillion
Size: 288 pages

Reviewed by Lindsay Scott

Just Another Self-Help Book?

A big resounding No! A brilliant book that aims to "Change the Way You Work Forever" by imparting cute sound bites, words of wisdom and short advice pieces from the Basecamp creators (the project management software company).

This book really does give an insight into how a modern small business can compete with the big brands and how owners can operate a business in an innovative, cost effective, common sense and dare I say it, fun way.

I wish I'd pick up this book eight years ago when starting Arras People; I'm happy to say that a lot of what is covered in Rework actually does ring true and the different approaches to creating and managing a business that are available in this book, if you just open your mind a little, are actually very achievable. In fact I feel happy that Arras runs in a similar way and I've definitely made a note of some other things I've not thought about before.

It's a book that delivers straight down the line; it's neat, to the point, laid back in its use of language, quite pop culture in its references and takes about two hours to read. In fact, now the government want to do away with Business Link, the government business quango, they'll do well just to hand out a copy of this book to any new start ups.

The book has several chapters focused on different parts of business; starting up, making progress, productivity, hiring etc. Within each chapter there is a page of advice - written in a laid back, chatty style.

There is one concern I have; would a new business start up buy this book? It's a difficult one, most businesses in the early days are driven, passionate, keen to crack on and make the first million. Most new business owners are keen to test their own ideas and approaches, after all, for many, this is the opportunity of a lifetime and one they have been dreaming of for a while. They're keen to do things their own way, however this book could save them some pain and ultimately help them to avoid the common pitfalls that many succumbed to.

So apart from the business owner or those thinking about starting a business; what is in it for the project management professional? Well, if you think about the project (or programme) being the business and the project manager as the MD / CEO, this book makes perfect sense to the project management professional too. Here's a few little nuggets: "Commit to making decisions - When you put off decisions, they pile up, and piles end up ignored, dealt with in haste, or thrown out. As a result, the individual problems in those piles stay unresolved" and, "Your estimates suck - We're all terrible estimators. We think we can guess how long something will take, when we really have no idea. We see everything going according to a best-case scenario without the delays that inevitably pop up. Reality never sticks to best-case scenarios"

Of course there are solutions to these situations but I'm not going to tell you them because you shouldn't ignore this book; buy it at the airport and you'll have finished it before you touch down. With a head full of unforgettable ways to change the work you work, mull them over while you holiday and you'll be raring to go when you arrive back home.

Would you like to review a book for Project Management Tipoffs? You can prove your interest simply by writing to us.

 "Even though I'm a veteran project manager, I'm not PRINCE2 certified, but that seems to be all companies want in their PM job descriptions. How do I get companies to look at me anyway?"- Kevin, Cambridge

Thanks for your question. In our experience at Arras People we find a good deal of employers ask for a project management qualification such as PRINCE2, but when we delve deeper it transpires the organisation isn't working stringently to the process but they are working within a structured environment. Therefore, the real requirement tends to be experience of working within these structures - if you can clearly demonstrate working through the project life-cycle in your CV and have worked to PRINCE2 then ensure it is clear in your CV.

There are, however, a number of organisations that do require the qualification and experience of working in the structures, unfortunately for those roles if you haven't got the badge you won't be considered for the role. If you have the opportunity to take a PRINCE2 course through your current employer, take it. But we only recommend professionals self fund such qualifications to back up current experience.

My advice would be to revisit your CV and ensure you have listed (and contextualised) your core competencies in your CV working through the project life-cycle and if you have been working to PRINCE2 or similar - state this.

i.e. "...Managing multiple concurrent business transformation projects in line with PRINCE2 practices to..."

For more examples like this and/or further help & advice regarding project management career opportunities and tips, refer to our Careers clinic /  Careers Advice pages.

Got a question for us? Contact us today.