“No” can be a scary word. As youngsters we’re conditioned that no will lead to conflict against the powers-that-be (parents, teachers etc.) In adult life we often bring our childhood conditioning with us and when confronted by a situation where only a “no” will suffice, it’s not uncommon for people to shy away from the responsibility to say it. Another trait …
LinkedIn Vs Recruiters
LinkedIn is the social network for the serious. With over 300 million users, two new users signing up every second, and a goal of attaining three billion members, LinkedIn is going to get a lot more serious. What started out in 2003 as a great way to professionally network, LinkedIn has transformed into the online CV website and shopwindow for …
Women in Accounting
Accounting has historically been a regarded as a more masculine profession and, to this day, it is still thought of by many as male-oriented. As we move closer to a more equal society, surely this stereotype cannot endure. At Holden Jones we thought it time for an exploration into the reality of gender balance (or imbalance) in the accounting world. …
The Communication Paradox
Our question to you: why is it so difficult to speak to people over the phone? We are recruiters and we love talking to people, but in a world where communication has become so easy that everyone has a mobile phone with multiple messaging opportunities, are we losing the art of conversation or just becoming a society dismissive of verbal …
The CV Battle Royale
Two recruitment Titans stand on opposing sides of a client, each brandishing the CV of the next big placement. One has the permission from the candidate to submit the CV, the other doesn’t care. The second agency just wants to beat everyone to the punch, sending every semi-suitable CV, hoping one might stick. A little commercial rivalry, yes, but serious …
We Like How People Smell
At a recent board meeting, held in the quiet part of a reputable establishment, both Holden Jones’ directors wistfully recalled the days of meeting every candidate face-to-face, the memories having been invoked by strong olfactory recollections. Pressing the flesh, looking them in the eye, smelling their fear! That’s what happened with every candidate for every vacancy. Okay, maybe they didn’t …
The Death of Professional Courtesy
Why is ghosting (vanishing from a professional or personal relationship by not responding to communication) becoming such a problem? We are struggling to comprehend the cause and where this problem could lead us. Let’s provide a little context; Holden Jones is a recruitment agency and yes, we know the terrible reputation recruiters have for dodging and hiding from candidates. It …
How Confidential is your CV?
A curriculum vitae (latin: course of life) is the intimate documentation of your education and work histories as well as a potted summary of your extra curricular activities, hobbies and interests. Your CV contains not only your work chronology, it also has your personal contact information. This is an extraordinarily private document, but so few people pay any notice to …
8 Misconceptions of a Recruitment Consultant
Recruitment consultants don’t always have a great reputation. We’re recruiters and we’re not going to hide from this fact, but we would like to dispel a few myths (for the sake of our industry’s reputation). Fake Adverts Yes, there are recruitment consultants that advertise fake jobs just to try to get your information. These are bad recruitment consultants and if …
Twenty Years Young
This week marks the day that, 20 years ago, Greg Holden and Leigh Jones (our illustrious leaders) took a monumental leap and started Holden Jones Financial Recruitment. On the 20th November 1995, two adventurous, eager young men took the keys to their new office, plugged in their computers and picked up the phones for the first time as masters of …