Today, the onus appears to be very much on the candidate to make the right impression, but with the skills gap biting, the ball is very much in their court.

Can you really make your business work without the very best people and the hottest youngest talent?

The recession meant many companies stopped investing in their staff. Training went by the wayside and some firms simply stopped hiring altogether, and made people redundant who then changed careers and lost the years of skills and knowledge they’d built up in their industry.

This has come back to bite firms looking to grow. The paucity of talent now available means that jobseekers can afford to shop around for the best deal for them, and many companies are now offering defensive pay rises to ensure that they keep the very best people in their businesses.

However, there is also another dynamic at play. A cursory glance at today’s job market will tell you that the so-called ‘job for life’ is a thing of the past. The modern job market is much more flexible, and as people’s lives become busier they need an employer that can accommodate their needs. They may also be interested to know what the workplace culture is like at your company, and will want to know if they will be looked after.

How can you guarantee a satisfied, engaged workforce?

While not a new innovation by any means, flexi-time is becoming increasingly popular with employers as people juggle ever more complex responsibilities. Where once alternative arrangements would have to be made for things like the school run or caring for elderly relatives, today, many employers will factor in a degree of flexibility to their employees’ contracts. If properly managed, this can benefit your business. A happy workforce equals a productive one, and showing that you care about your employees’ lives outside of the workplace can go a long way towards achieving this.

It’s also important to show that you are willing to invest time and effort in your employees’ development, even if they’re a temp. Some people baulk at the idea of appraisals, but they can serve the important purpose of making people feel part of a bigger picture, especially if there is an opportunity for the employee to provide feedback. The bottom line is – today’s jobseekers want assurances that they will be listened to, and above all, cared for.

Workplace culture is equally important. In recent years, we have seen many businesses change the way their offices are physically arranged, what their workers wear and the ways in which they are permitted to interact with each other. For example, many companies place less emphasis on the importance of formal dress these days. Some directors will work in the same office space as their juniors, as opposed to being closeted away and inaccessible, and there is an increasing focus on bringing aspects of social life into the work environment. This really depends on the industry you operate in, of course, but that beer fridge in the kitchen or ‘break-out’ area in the office could end up being a very wise investment.

This only scrapes the surface of what modern job candidates want from an employer, but it’s nonetheless important to note that making cultural changes will make people want to work for your company.   

When John Ruskin, the Victorian art critic, said: “When love and skill work together, expect a masterpiece” he had a very valid point. Can you truly look at your company and say you’re doing everything you can to not only keep your best people, but also attract new talent that will push your business to the next level?

We see so many businesses that have an idea of who they want in their business, but very little in the way of ensuring that they appeal to those same people. In a world where the workforce is more transient than ever, standing still is not an option. The very best staff want to be wooed by their next employer, as well as tested.

Ask yourself this: do you have the very best image and infrastructure in place to ensure you not only know which jobseeker you’re looking for, but also the means to make sure you’re their first choice when they receive your job offer?

Frontline Recruitment, the careers specialist, is set to expand its offering to growing businesses and jobseekers by bringing free-to-use website staffbay.com into its company.

Previously, staffbay.com was a standalone company. Now, Frontline will expand further as it moves to become the fastest-growing "one-stop shop" for recruitment.

Tony Wilmot, director of Frontline Recruitment and co-founder of staffbay.com explained the reasons behind the decision to bring staffbay.cominto the Frontline organisation.

He said: "staffbay.com is our sister website and is the world's most dynamic recruitment website. What's more, we've re-launched it as a free-to-use website giving you all your recruitment needs in one place.

"staffbay.com is unique in that it is totally free for both companies looking for the best quality staff - and jobseekers who want a free and easy way of showcasing their talents to the best employers in the UK.

"This also gives Frontline staff the added ability to offer a totally free add-on service to our established and new clients by bringing two very different but complimentary services together.

Tony, along with co-founder Elliot Kidd, founded staffbay.com in 2009. 

Tony adds: "We saw that technology was changing the rules of the recruitment game like nothing before, and the credit crunch was tightening belts. Employers and candidates were expecting higher standards and better value. More and more, they were mixing traditional recruitment methods with the use of social media, moving beyond the advertise-and-sift model. 

"staffbay.com's innovative solution combines the best of both methods on one site like never before."

Frontline Recruitment has six offices throughout the UK. Headquarted in Nottingham, it is also based in Derby, Hull, Leicester, Mansfield and Weymouth.

It doesn’t take a briefcase stuffed with used fivers: smarter prep can get you through the trickiest of interviews. Save the Student has the inside scoop. 

If you’ve nabbed an interview, you’ve nailed the biggest hurdle: someone out there already believes you can do the job. Congrats. Your CV has run a gauntlet of Ninja Warrior-like proportions – all you have to do is dry off and do your piece to camera! Here’s a strategy to help you shine.

1. Get your X-Ray specs out

Want a heads-up on interview questions? The job ad/description and any person spec they’ve thrown your way has the clues you need (ask for them if you weren’t sent copies!). Look past the jaunty phrases and try to pick out what they’re really saying – then get examples that prove you’ve got the necessaries.

• Bags of ideas: will you pull your weight? “Pitch me an idea for our next marketing campaign”. 
• Deep knowledge of social media: can you keep us current, or are you bogged down in Lolcats? “What do you think the next online trend will be, and why?” 
• Flexible approach / willingness to adapt: are you more hands-on than home-time? “Tell me about a time you put in extra effort to get a job done.” 

Make a comprehensive list of potential Qs and As and rehearse, rehearse, rehearse! If you need help, we’ve got killer answers to tough interview questions right here.

2. Read up on your employer

Pre-interview snooping – check company profiles at glassdoor – can give you a sense if this is somewhere you want to work as much as help predict questions:

• How do they rate in their industry?
• What awards have they won?
• Who are their top players (or competition)?
• What’s their business model?
• What is it about them that appeals to you, and why are you a good fit?
• What do you like (or not!) about their website/campaigns?

They key is looking critically and forming your own opinions. If you’re asked “what do you know about us?” – tell them something they don’t already know.

3. Nix your nerves

Interviews are a two-way street: they’re as much about answering your questions as about being grilled. Do you like your interviewer? Do they make you feel welcome and at ease? Does the company give you good vibes. 

The point is, moving away from a desperate “OMG please hire me” mindset gives you emotional distance – and clarity – and can make it easier to be yourself and speak your piece. We’re not saying be arrogant or wear board shorts. We are saying an interview isn’t trial-by-jury. It’s more like a first date: you both need to match to make it work long term.

4. Do the obvious

• Dry run the interview – more than once if you can.
• Prep your look in advance, polish your shoes and take care of the details so you’re not distracted on the day: make a checklist.
• Being late is an own goal. Always, always get there early (wait in a local caff if you need to).
• Make sure you understand the question and take a breath before doing your spiel. Talk slowly.
• Stop talking when you’ve made all your points – it’s the interviewer’s job to fill awkward silence, not yours!
• It’s not keyhole surgery: the worst that can happen won’t be fatal. You’ve done the prep – give it your best shot, enjoy it, and just see what happens!
• If it doesn’t go your way, don’t take it personally – take something from it. Review, revise, and aim to build a better burger.

5. Take the long (long) view

Did you know starting interview prep a week before could be at least six months too late? Getting the kind of experience, qualifications or knowledge employers are after is a long-haul thing. That doesn’t mean you need to panic – it just means scoping out job ads (or seeing what your career ‘heroes’ on have on their LinkedIn profiles) well before you start applying. And then you work on getting the goods. Good luck, amigos!