About Jessica Finn

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So far Jessica Finn has created 6 blog entries.

4 Tips to make it through a video interview!

By |2020-10-28T11:48:59+01:00October 28th, 2020|HR Tips|

In the era of Covid-19, video interviews have replaced face-to-face and in person interviews. Are they relatively the same or should you prepare differently for a video interview? Overall, interviews are interviews, and I would view all interviews in the same light. However, there are some key differences on how you should prepare for a virtual interview. Similarly to telephone interviews, video interviews require special considerations and adjustments due to the limited ability to read a candidates body language and facial expressions. Here are some tips that we would recommend taking in to consideration in order to ace your interview;   1.Test your Technology: Probably the most important thing to do prior to your video interview is to make sure your technology is working efficiently and effectively. Ideally this should be done the day before your interview. Make sure you have downloaded the correct app/ software, test your microphone, camera and internet connection. I would strongly recommend using a laptop to complete your interview and steer clear of using your phone, it’s unprofessional. I would also suggest asking a friend to do a practice run with you using the technology the client has requested. There is nothing worse than having technical issues that could have been avoided!   2.Environment is Everything: It is best to set yourself up in a quiet room within your house with no distractions. Likewise, the room should be clean and ideally you should sit in front of a blank wall so as not to distract your interviewer. You should let your family or roommates know [...]

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Are competency-based interviews a thing of the past?

By |2020-10-28T11:24:53+01:00September 17th, 2020|HR, HR Tips, HR Trends|

  I recently assisted a client with hiring a HR Business Partner and when chatting through the interview process and format, they mentioned that they prefer to conduct conversational type interviews rather than competency based interviews. This got me thinking, are competency based interviews a thing of the past? And is it better to have a more conversational style interview? This was music to my ears, and the candidates’, as competency questions and answers can come across as rehearsed and unauthentic. Candidates and clients alike, like to get to know each other on a professional and personal level and by having a more conversational style interview can weed out any uncertainties and is a much more honest approach. Having carried out some research on this, I came across two more personal styles of interviews that I think could be more current and suitable for today’s environment.   Soft-Skill Assessments - Soft skills are the non-technical skills needed to do a job. Individuals with soft skills can work well with others, come up with new ideas, and thrive in their environment. Examples of soft skills include integrity, adaptability and communication. As recruiters, we have to find candidates who have both hard and soft skills, but soft skills can determine if the candidate will be a good fit for the position. In order to assess a candidates soft-skills, interviewers should ask behavioural interview questions, such as; Was there ever a time when you saw a co-worker do something wrong? What did you do? Hard skills are evident on a candidates CV but [...]

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What is HR Analytics?

By |2019-05-09T11:51:21+01:00April 12th, 2019|HR, HR Analytics|

  Today I attended a very insightful seminar which focused on HR Analytics, the new buzz word or phrase, that is being bounced around the HR market. The aim of the event, held by CIPD and UCD Smurfit Business School, was to enlighten the audience and offer an understanding as to what HR Analytics is, the benefits of implementing this in to your organisation and how to implement.   For me, I was keen to attend as more and more of our clients seem to be investing in to this area and it’s important that I’m up to scratch with the lingo and requirements when asked to help them hire HR Analysts in the future! If, like I was, you are unsure about what HR Analytics actually means then hopefully this blog will provide a brief overview for you.   According to CIPD; HR Analytics is the use of people-data in analytical processes to solve business problems. In essence, HR Analytics helps HR and their stakeholders to measure and report on key workforce concepts such as; performance, well-being and productivity and thus enables more evidence-based decision making.     Why implement HR Analytics? There are numerous reasons why companies should follow suit and consider implementing HR Analytics. Overall the main aim of it would be to improve a company’s performance and analytics can help by;   Improving staff retention; as analytics can uncover patterns and predict employees who are likely to resign Improving hiring; algorithms allow companies to identify which traits lead to success and therefore companies can shape who they should [...]

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How Disruptive is your HR Team?

By |2018-10-11T16:07:27+01:00October 9th, 2018|HR, Uncategorized|

I was lucky enough to attend the latest DisruptHR event last night, hosted by Arthur Cox in their fabulous Dublin offices. For those of you who are unfamiliar with DisruptHR, it is “an information exchange designed to energise, inform and empower leaders who are passionate about talent”, and last night certainly lived up to that, as I came away with a bucket full of golden nuggets. DisruptHR events have taken place in 86 cities so far, and was the second time it hit the Emerald Isle. As the title suggests, the aim is to be disruptive and challenge to status quo. Therefore, the format of the evening is somewhat disruptive, with 12 speakers each allowed 5 minutes to present on the topic of their choice. It is a fun and different way to keep the audience captivated and interested, compared to those drawn out talks we have all been to! All of the speakers have been recognised in their fields and it truly was a treat to hear them speak so passionately about HR and to be in the same room as such thought leaders. It would be hard (and boring for you) to comment on every speaker, but there were three speakers who’s topics resonated with me the most and who spoke about areas that every HR team/ professional should take on board. Firstly, Clint Clarkson, Founder & Managing Partner of eLearning Alchemy Ltd., presented on his topic titled; Training Guru Says…. During his five minutes, Clint spoke about how your training department can stop being seen as just [...]

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HR does not have to be your friend to be effective.

By |2018-07-02T13:57:01+01:00May 30th, 2018|Uncategorized|

“HR does not have to be your friend to be effective,” explained David Ulrich who was speaking at the CIPD conference held in Croke Park last week. A very interesting and topical quote that seems to resonate throughout the HR market. Read more here. During his talk, Ulrich pointed out that there are two things that HR should focus on: commitment to employee well-being and organisational success. It isn’t just about having one or the other, as without both the company will likely collapse. Without employee happiness, they don’t have dedication and without success within the business there would be no place to work. Having recently joined HR Search, I have viewed the HR industry with fresh eyes. Before starting, I, like many, would have believed the certain (somewhat negative) connotations associated with HR. People might think that HR only has the company and management’s interests in mind or that there is too much politics associated with HR. However, having met with a number of professionals who work within HR over the last couple of months, one thing that has echoed throughout each meeting is the complete dedication they have to their employee’s well-being. Yes, I have met with a number of different personalities, from the more softer and endearing to a more straight talking type of HR professional. This is a mere observation as to why HR may be viewed as “the big bad wolf” but what is essential is that all types of HR professionals essentially have placed your well-being at the top of their list. Long gone are [...]

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What to expect when you’re not expecting? A young professionals take on preparing for Mat Leave.

By |2018-07-02T13:59:24+01:00March 26th, 2018|Uncategorized|

As you may have seen over the last week, HR Search were very proud to have partnered with and sponsored an event in conjunction with the DCU Leadership & Talent Institute. The aim of the event was to showcase the incredible research carried out by DCU on the topic of Women Returning to Work after Maternity Leave, very topical as you may know.     The research uncovered both the positive and negative stories people have encountered, throughout the numerous interviews and surveys DCU conducted with the participants of the research. Two very positive stories that were revealed on the day were that of Ita Langton and Bernie O’Connor. Ita herself spoke about her personal journey and how she was promoted to Partner with Deloitte while on Maternity leave (I still find this amazing). The second story came from the employers point of view, and Bernie discussed the incredible programme ESB has in place for women preparing for and currently on maternity leave. She discussed the importance of such programmes, particularly in ESB who have a 76% male workforce.   From a young professionals point of view, this got me thinking. While I am currently not at that stage in my life, it definitely struck a chord with me. It made me realise the importance of truly understanding the policies and culture in place in organisations regarding maternity leave, from a personal and candidates point of view. By understanding an employers stance on maternity leave and the programmes and initiatives in place for women, could potentially impact positively or negatively on [...]

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