5 Things to Look for in a Cover Letter

When looking for the perfect candidate for a position that you are hiring for, the cover letter is a crucial piece of the puzzle. It is too time consuming to look through every resume that comes to you. The cover letter gives you a little peek into the people that are applying for the position. There are several things that you want to see in the cover letter.

1.      The cover letter needs a well organised appearance.

Cover letters are meant to show a little bit about the person who is presenting you with their resume. It is important for the cover letter to have a neat and organised appearance instead of jumbled and unclear. The saying “less is more” is very true in this case. If the cover letter is full of information, that makes it harder to understand and get to know the person who wrote it.  Also, having an unorganised cover letter can show you as how unorganized they may be when it comes to their job.

2.      Does the applicant have the necessary skills for the job?

Although a majority of the skills will be mentioned in the resume, it is still common for applicants to talk about what they can bring to your business. This shows a preview of the skills that they possess. If they have nothing to offer your company, there is a good chance that they do not have all the necessary skills to do their job.

3.      How does the applicant stand out?

When reviewing cover letters for potential candidates of the job you are hiring for, a good thing to look for is what makes this applicant stand out. It is a waste of time to look in detail through every resume that comes before you, so finding things that make some applicants stand out is a way to narrow down your search. Chances are those that make their cover letter and resume stand out are better candidates than those that did not.

4.      Good writing skills/ well thought out

Something else to keep in mind when looking at cover letters is how well written and well thought out it is. Hiring someone with poor writing skills or a thrown together cover letter can be an indicator of how they will behave when it comes to their job. If they are not willing to take the time to get their cover letter right, they are most likely not a good candidate for the position you are hiring for. Poorly written cover letters can be an indication of laziness.

5.      Sense of who someone is

A cover letter is like the wrapping paper on a present. It is supposed to show you a tiny peak inside the resume and let you know a little bit about the candidate. Getting to know a little bit about someone before meeting them allows you to structure your interview around each individual.

Cover letters are an essential part of hiring someone or applying for a job. They give recruiters a little taste of who the applicant is and what they can do for the company.

For more articles on how to hire the right staff into your business visit www.aaronwallis.co.uk

How to Customize Interview Questions for Sales Interviews

When it comes to interviewing potential candidates for a position, it is essential to find someone that would fit well with your company. Aside from the standard questions that most interviewers ask, there are several ways that you can customize your interviews in order to find the perfect person to hire.

1.      Look at an applicant’s resume and assess what they could add to your company

The first obvious step is to take a detailed look at an applicant’s resume to determine what they have to offer your company. Taking a look at their resume ahead of time will allow you to ask them further about what they think they can add to your company. Each person will have a unique reason they believe they would be an asset to your company.

2.      Determine what you are looking for in regards to the job

Another thing you can do to customize your job interview questions is to be confident on what you are looking for in a candidate you want to hire. Knowing ahead of time what your company needs will give you a chance to determine who out of the applicants you need to fill in the gap in your company.

3.      Consider behavioural interviewing

Behavioural interviewing is a reasonably new thing in regards to finding the perfect person for the job you are hiring for. This type of interviewing focuses on asking question about candidate’s past and future behaviours that can help determine what type of an employee they would be. You should ask questions about what they have or would do in certain situations or their competence with

certain tasks.

4.      Ask questions that show what the candidate knows about your company

An important thing to find out in any interview is whether or not the candidate knows anything about your company or the position they desire. A great way to find this out is to ask questions that can allow them to show you what they know. An example of this would be to ask them what your company could do to be more competitive. This would allow you to find out whether or not they are familiar with your company and the job they want do. It also can give you some insight into their thoughts on the business in general.

Although there are standard questions that most interviewers ask, in order to really get to know a candidate for a job, tailoring each job interview for the person is a wonderful way to get to know a potential employee.

For more articles on hiring sales staff visit: http://www.aaronwallis.co.uk/employer_client_advice.aspx

5 Questions to Ask During the Hiring Process

When it comes to hiring someone new to join a sales team, the pressure is on to select the right candidate. But having to decide from a cover letter, a CV and a few face-to-face meetings whether someone is worth taking a chance on can be a tough ask. 

At Aaron Wallis, we know that recruitment is all about asking the right questions. When you’re interviewing someone for a role, asking the right questions can coax the interviewee into giving the answers you really want to hear – the answers that will tell you if they’re right for the job. We’ve come up with a selection of five great questions to ask during the interview process that will help you to narrow it down and choose the best candidate for your business.

1.     What previous work experience have you had to prepare you for this position?

Forget generic questions like, “Why are you a good fit for this position?” Instead, try to encourage the candidate to come up with specific examples and reasons why they’d be suitable for the job. Not only do they have to think on their feet, they also have to provide you with some insight into their work experience in order to answer the question. Two birds with one stone! Their answer should give you a clearer picture of the candidate’s working background, and whether or not their experience is suited to the position they’re applying for.

2.     From what you have learned about our company and this role, how could you make a contribution?

This question will help you discover whether your candidate is a serious contender for a role. Great candidates will have done their research on your company before the interview, and will know how they can make a valuable contribution to your business. The answer to this question should be bursting with enthusiasm, and must demonstrate some prior knowledge of your company. Watch out for generic answers – they’ll come from unsuitable candidates.

3.     Where do you see yourself in five years?

Want to gauge how ambitious and driven an individual is? Ask them this question. Pay attention not only to their vocal answer, but also to their body language as they respond. A truly ambitious, committed and motivated person will appear animated and passionate when talking about their hopes for the future. This is the kind of person you want representing your company.

4.     Give me an example of a time that you had to go above and beyond to get the job done or accomplish a task?

Their answer to this question will give you a sense of how dedicated the candidate is to their career. If they can’t think of any examples at all, it speaks volumes about their levels of commitment and overall attitude to their job.

5.     Do you have any questions?

This is a fairly standard interview technique – and for good reason. This question can speak volumes about a person, and it gives you more of an insight into their overall personality. If the candidate answers ‘no’ to this question, it’s more likely (though not certain) that they’re a passive person who lacks initiative. If the person asks self-centred questions about their pay or benefits, they’re more engaged but perhaps not a team player. The perfect candidate asks questions about the job itself, the role, the company and the expectations of them as a potential employee.

So you see, asking the right questions can tell you all you need to know about a potential recruit for your team. 

For more articles to help you recruit for your sales team visit: http://www.aaronwallis.co.uk/employer_client_advice.aspx