The trouble with ‘informal referencing’.

When hiring an employee, we typically imagine that the decision to hire (or not hire) them would be based on their experience and skillset. So with this in mind, why is it that ‘informal referencing’ has become such common practice within the recruitment industry? Why are so many potential employers relying on the ‘he said, she said’ rather than interviewing candidates face to face and assessing them as professionals?

Informal Referencing is when a potential employer passes a candidate’s name around the departments and decides whether or not to continue with the recruitment process based on feedback. It’s hard to believe that employers these days, a time so obsessed with equality, will judge a candidate’s employability solely on what they’ve heard and not what they have read or learned for themselves.

Setting aside the fact that informal referencing is against RCSA guidelines, it’s the sneakiness of the whole process that I find most perplexing. As a recruiter, I always want to be as clear and honest with my candidates as possible. The typical response from the Hiring Manager is “Sorry, this candidate is a no due to our background information on the candidate’s behaviour, skills and experience.” The client cannot provide me with a more detailed reason, of course. However, it’s extremely difficult to give my candidate clear, honest feedback on their progression in the recruitment process and how they can improve for next time when they have only made it to the informal referencing stage and been judged on their name alone.

I feel deeply for these candidates, who not only lose their right to privacy (because in this small industry, a candidate’s employer can easily be notified when names are being passed around), but also miss out on great opportunities without so much as a phone screening, interview or proper reference check.

Another element that I feel needs addressing is the seniority level of the informal referees themselves. I have recently had a very strong senior candidate rejected before any formal interview/referencing was carried out and this was all down to negative feedback from a subordinate member of staff. Referencing is carried out by colleagues in a superior role for a reason and subordinate referees would certainly not be accepted by any employer for formal referencing; why do they look past this crucial requirement for informal referencing? 

It’s worth noting that candidates give their written permission for referees to be contacted by a potential employer, but not for their name and details to be passed around departments.

To those of you reading who regularly use informal referencing to determine the employability of a candidate, ask yourself something: How you would feel being judged solely by others’ opinions of you and not for your professional capacity for the role? Would you want to work for an organisation that uses unverifiable Chinese whispers as a base for hiring?

By all means take what your colleagues say into consideration, but at least give the candidate a fair shot at what could potentially be their dream job.

Take care.

Is there something we can help you with? Feel welcome to contact us

How to prepare for an Aged Care interview.

One of the most nerve-wracking things about going to an interview is not knowing what to expect. You don't know what type of questions they're going to ask or whether you'll be asked to return.

It doesn't matter if you're at the beginning of your working life and only just started looking for aged care jobs or have vast experience in aged services - you're probably going to feel those pre-interview jitters. However, preparing yourself beforehand is an excellent tool for interview success.

Dress Code

Starting with the basics: what to wear for an aged care job interview. A suit isn't necessary, but you will need to dress smartly, practically and in something that is safe for the area you are working in. We recommend not wearing high heels.

If you are successful in getting the job, you will be expected to have short and tidy nails, without polish, and have your hair tied up (if it's long), so why not show just how prepared you are for the role by showing up to your interview with these boxes ticked?

Don't Be Late

One of the first impressions you'll make before you've even met the interviewer is your timing. Showing up late doesn't look good, so try to be a minimum of ten minutes early; that way you have time to prepare yourself mentally, relax and have something to drink.

Questions You Might Be Asked When Interviewing for an Aged Care Position

The interviewer is likely to ask clinical and profession-based questions about procedures and giving aged care support. Some of the questions that may require a more prepared answer could include:

Can you tell us a bit about yourself and the experience you have within this residential facility?

You don't need to give your life story here, but a little personal background won't do any harm, especially if it's related to the job you're applying for.

The aim is to shape how your career/experience brought you to this interview. What work have you previously undertaken and why do you want to work in aged care, specifically in this aged care facility? Do you have a degree or any unique experiences you can discuss?

What characteristics do you think are needed for those who work in elderly care?

Examples may include being polite, caring, respectful, supportive, patient or flexible.

What are your strengths and weaknesses?

Here, you can expand on some of the characteristics you've mentioned above. When it comes to speaking about your weaknesses, it's okay to admit that you have them - everybody does, but, remember to explain how you challenge yourself to improve in those areas.

Can you give any examples of when you have demonstrated teamwork?

This one is pretty self-explanatory but, again, try to think of a situation within the workplace.

Can you tell us about a stressful situation you've handled in a positive way?

A stressful situation might be with a colleague, patient, patient's family or perhaps when you've been short staffed. The most important factor is that you end on a positive note and with how you turned the situation around.

Talk us through an emergency you've faced and how you dealt with it.

Maybe a patient has had a bad fall, your workplace has had a power cut, or someone's been severely affected by illness - what have you done?

What makes you stand out from other candidates?

This is a difficult one to answer as most people don't like to feel as if they're being boastful. Try to be original with your answer and avoid the typical 'I'm a team player' type responses. Remember to back all your points up with a brief example.

Why have you chosen to leave your previous employment? 

It's good to prepare this answer beforehand because if you are leaving for negative reasons (e.g. a colleague you've clashed with or a problem with management), you can plan a more composed answer.

Final tips

• Do your research on the facility and the elderly care services they offer.

• Prepare a couple of questions to ask the interviewer.

• Refresh your mind on your CV.

• Shake the hand of the person/people conducting your interview.

• Keep regular eye contact throughout your interview.

Take care.

Is there something we can help you with? Feel welcome to contact us

The myths about permanent aged care jobs.

When speaking with Aged Care Nurses and receiving their resumes, we typically imagine that our candidates understand who we are as a recruitment agency, the process of working with an agency and what we have to offer. However, we’re often surprised at how many people believe that our role is only to source temporary or locum jobs when actually, we have many permanent aged care jobs, as well as lots of information and advice to share.

It’s essential aged care professionals know the difference between working permanently as a locum nurse via an agency and working directly through an aged care provider as a member of their team - recruitment consultants can help secure jobs in both.

The myth about recruitment agencies

Many potential candidates think they will be working for the actual recruitment agency on short-term or locum contracts, and don’t realise that we can help them to find work directly with aged care providers in a location of their choosing. We have a range of aged care opportunities all across the country in a variety of settings, from registered nurse jobs to facility managers.

I often find myself reassuring candidates that they are entitled to full-time employment when registered with us; this is assuming that they have full working rights, necessary skills and experience to do the job.

How can your consultant help you to find a permanent job?

As a recruiter, it is my responsibility to liaise with both clients and candidates in the lead-up to the interview process, making sure that everything is running smoothly and stress-free.

I can assist you by:

• Giving interview advice

• Providing a rundown on the aged care provider’s organisation, culture and background

• Explaining the details of each individual position, as well as your duties and working environment

Ultimately, my job is to provide you, the candidate, with as much information as possible so that you can decide whether this is the role for you. I also want to ensure that you feel confident in front of a potential future employer.

The current need for Aged Care Nurses/Managers

Aged care facilities across Australia are in need of permanent Nurses and Managers, particularly in:

Queensland
Wide Bay–Burnett region
North East QLD (Townsville)
Sunshine Coast
Gold Coast

NSW/ACT
Canberra, ACT
South Coast, NSW
North Coast, NSW
Central Coast / Hunter region

VIC
Mornington Peninsula
Gippsland region
Bendigo
Melbourne Metro

WA
Bunbury
Geraldton
Mandurah
Perth Metro

Why choose Lighthouse?

At Lighthouse, our Recruitment Consultants really take the time to explain to all our candidates who we are, what we do and the services we can provide, so that you can take full advantage of them. I feel that our candidates have a better understanding of the role they need to play, which gives them a greater chance of success when applying for potential opportunities.

Take care.

Is there something we can help you with? Feel welcome to contact us