Where to find single staff member?
Discussion
I've got to the point where I need a single staff member. I've been running an e-commerce business for a year. The job doesn't really require any specific skills, but needs someone who is literate (phone calls and customer service emails), and needs to be able to think on their feet, etc. I don't think getting in a typical min-wager will work out.
I have put an ad on gumtree, with far less responses than I imagined; I asked in the ad for people to write a short cover note, nearly all of them wrote a copy/paste reply and attached their CV, which I'm not really interested in.
Does anyone have any experience of this, or ideas where else I could look?
I have put an ad on gumtree, with far less responses than I imagined; I asked in the ad for people to write a short cover note, nearly all of them wrote a copy/paste reply and attached their CV, which I'm not really interested in.
Does anyone have any experience of this, or ideas where else I could look?
Just to be clear, what are you expecting when you ask people to write a short cover note?
When I am job hunting I just have a cover note that I copy and paste, like your applicants have done..
Job hunting is a fairly soul destroying endeavour these days, just sending out endless cover notes and CV's and not hearing anything back apart from copy and pasted responses from 'don't reply to this' email address's.
Are you expecting something hand written, maybe scented?
When I am job hunting I just have a cover note that I copy and paste, like your applicants have done..
Job hunting is a fairly soul destroying endeavour these days, just sending out endless cover notes and CV's and not hearing anything back apart from copy and pasted responses from 'don't reply to this' email address's.
Are you expecting something hand written, maybe scented?
Edited by Shuvi McTupya on Sunday 10th May 23:35
location / pay / job expectations, will all make a difference...
how much flexibilty can you offer?
do you need someone 9-5, or as an ecommerce setup could you be more fleible with hours?
there is a huge untapped workforce of typically mothers with primary school children who would be more than capable of work which allows them to do the school run - many of whom could have had far higher grade job pre-children - is that a market you could tap into?
how much flexibilty can you offer?
do you need someone 9-5, or as an ecommerce setup could you be more fleible with hours?
there is a huge untapped workforce of typically mothers with primary school children who would be more than capable of work which allows them to do the school run - many of whom could have had far higher grade job pre-children - is that a market you could tap into?
Shuvi McTupya said:
Just to be clear, what are you expecting when you ask people to write a short cover note?
When I am job hunting I just have a cover note that I copy and paste, like your applicants have done..
Job hunting is a fairly soul destroying endeavour these days, just sending out endless cover notes and CV's and not hearing anything back apart from copy and pasted responses from 'don't reply to this' email address's.
Are you expecting something hand written, maybe scented?
When I am job hunting I just have a cover note that I copy and paste, like your applicants have done..
Job hunting is a fairly soul destroying endeavour these days, just sending out endless cover notes and CV's and not hearing anything back apart from copy and pasted responses from 'don't reply to this' email address's.
Are you expecting something hand written, maybe scented?
Edited by Shuvi McTupya on Sunday 10th May 23:35
I think it's fair to ask that there's some customisation in a covering letter eg why you think you're suitable for the job. Not to mention you'd also send in a relevant CV rather than a generic CV if you're open to many different jobs.
Edited by Hoofy on Monday 11th May 11:15
Shuvi McTupya said:
Just to be clear, what are you expecting when you ask people to write a short cover note?
When I am job hunting I just have a cover note that I copy and paste, like your applicants have done..
Job hunting is a fairly soul destroying endeavour these days, just sending out endless cover notes and CV's and not hearing anything back apart from copy and pasted responses from 'don't reply to this' email address's.
Are you expecting something hand written, maybe scented?
I'm looking for anything other than a generic reply. The whole point of the job is that it needs a bit of initiative. I've made it clear in the description that it's that kind of job, and I'm not particularly interested in formal qualifications.When I am job hunting I just have a cover note that I copy and paste, like your applicants have done..
Job hunting is a fairly soul destroying endeavour these days, just sending out endless cover notes and CV's and not hearing anything back apart from copy and pasted responses from 'don't reply to this' email address's.
Are you expecting something hand written, maybe scented?
Edited by Shuvi McTupya on Sunday 10th May 23:35
akirk said:
location / pay / job expectations, will all make a difference...
how much flexibilty can you offer?
do you need someone 9-5, or as an ecommerce setup could you be more fleible with hours?
there is a huge untapped workforce of typically mothers with primary school children who would be more than capable of work which allows them to do the school run - many of whom could have had far higher grade job pre-children - is that a market you could tap into?
Loads of flexibility, I've stated in the ad that it's a very flexible job, and that they can more or less pick their own hours (within a wide window). I thought because of this I'd get quite a few applicants, I didn't.how much flexibilty can you offer?
do you need someone 9-5, or as an ecommerce setup could you be more fleible with hours?
there is a huge untapped workforce of typically mothers with primary school children who would be more than capable of work which allows them to do the school run - many of whom could have had far higher grade job pre-children - is that a market you could tap into?
I'm in East London, and I'm right by a station, on several major bus routes, and easy to reach by car, so would have thought the location wasn't a problem.
veevee said:
Has anyone had any success advertising through the Jobcentre, or whatever it's called now?
This is the website: https://www.gov.uk/advertise-jobIts free, we have used many times over the years, make sure the job description is very clear. You might have to go through a fair number of CV's.
We have had both good and bad people from this route but no worse than agencies in my opinion, the bottom line is that its your company and you need to filter to find the right person.
Also (maybe later) consider the government apprenticeship programme, you can get some very good youngsters and they help narrow down the right candidates for you.
veevee said:
Shuvi McTupya said:
Just to be clear, what are you expecting when you ask people to write a short cover note?
When I am job hunting I just have a cover note that I copy and paste, like your applicants have done..
Job hunting is a fairly soul destroying endeavour these days, just sending out endless cover notes and CV's and not hearing anything back apart from copy and pasted responses from 'don't reply to this' email address's.
Are you expecting something hand written, maybe scented?
I'm looking for anything other than a generic reply. The whole point of the job is that it needs a bit of initiative. I've made it clear in the description that it's that kind of job, and I'm not particularly interested in formal qualifications.When I am job hunting I just have a cover note that I copy and paste, like your applicants have done..
Job hunting is a fairly soul destroying endeavour these days, just sending out endless cover notes and CV's and not hearing anything back apart from copy and pasted responses from 'don't reply to this' email address's.
Are you expecting something hand written, maybe scented?
Edited by Shuvi McTupya on Sunday 10th May 23:35
akirk said:
location / pay / job expectations, will all make a difference...
how much flexibilty can you offer?
do you need someone 9-5, or as an ecommerce setup could you be more fleible with hours?
there is a huge untapped workforce of typically mothers with primary school children who would be more than capable of work which allows them to do the school run - many of whom could have had far higher grade job pre-children - is that a market you could tap into?
Loads of flexibility, I've stated in the ad that it's a very flexible job, and that they can more or less pick their own hours (within a wide window). I thought because of this I'd get quite a few applicants, I didn't.how much flexibilty can you offer?
do you need someone 9-5, or as an ecommerce setup could you be more fleible with hours?
there is a huge untapped workforce of typically mothers with primary school children who would be more than capable of work which allows them to do the school run - many of whom could have had far higher grade job pre-children - is that a market you could tap into?
I'm in East London, and I'm right by a station, on several major bus routes, and easy to reach by car, so would have thought the location wasn't a problem.
when im in job seeker mode, i dont even bother to read the job descriptions any more.
i just pound out those CV's as fast as my computer can send them out.
in this day and age its purely a numbers game, the more you send the more chance there is of getting a response.
the thought of spending endless hours crafting a custom/innovative and personalised CV and coverletter with prearranged references and documented evidence of all facts is laughable.
it will just vanish into the void never to be read by anyone. i choose to invest my time on the fish that nibble at the hook, instead of the ones off doing fishy things elsewhere.
SystemParanoia said:
to be fair.
when im in job seeker mode, i dont even bother to read the job descriptions any more.
i just pound out those CV's as fast as my computer can send them out.
in this day and age its purely a numbers game, the more you send the more chance there is of getting a response.
the thought of spending endless hours crafting a custom/innovative and personalised CV and coverletter with prearranged references and documented evidence of all facts is laughable.
it will just vanish into the void never to be read by anyone. i choose to invest my time on the fish that nibble at the hook, instead of the ones off doing fishy things elsewhere.
Then you probably moan when the recruiiters don't bother to the application you made for a job you can't do. when im in job seeker mode, i dont even bother to read the job descriptions any more.
i just pound out those CV's as fast as my computer can send them out.
in this day and age its purely a numbers game, the more you send the more chance there is of getting a response.
the thought of spending endless hours crafting a custom/innovative and personalised CV and coverletter with prearranged references and documented evidence of all facts is laughable.
it will just vanish into the void never to be read by anyone. i choose to invest my time on the fish that nibble at the hook, instead of the ones off doing fishy things elsewhere.
You stick to the 'scattergun approach' if you wish but my 23 years as a recruiter tell me you are wasting a lot of yours and others time.
Why would I care about wasting other peoples precious time that they are being paid for anyway?
On most jobsites you can literally spam your CV out to everything on it in a few mins for instance.
Fake it till you make it as they say.
Once you get a call back, THEN you ask about the position and get them to forward the job description to you.
The nibble and the chance of an interview is the turning point.. they have invested some interest in you, and you can then return that investment by researching and getting yourself ready for the role in question.
To do so before would just be wasting your time, which would be better spent spamming out more CV's
On most jobsites you can literally spam your CV out to everything on it in a few mins for instance.
Fake it till you make it as they say.
Once you get a call back, THEN you ask about the position and get them to forward the job description to you.
The nibble and the chance of an interview is the turning point.. they have invested some interest in you, and you can then return that investment by researching and getting yourself ready for the role in question.
To do so before would just be wasting your time, which would be better spent spamming out more CV's
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