Two newsletters ago I wrote a blog with tips for companies hiring in the candidate-driven market we are currently in. A result we see happening because of this candidate-driven market, is that candidates, more often than before,  receive multiple offers at the same time. We also see that some candidates have a hard time in weighing their options, sometimes focusing too much on the salary aspect. And although negotiating fair financial compensation is of course important, there are other factors that should definitely not be overlooked when choosing your next challenge. It’s easy to let yourself get lured in by the better salary offer, but is the job that comes with that offer really the best choice for you (and your career)?

When you ask people to think about the most satisfying job they have ever had and why, very few say it was the money (see this recent poll of Lou Adler, a well-known labour market guru). To make the best long-term career decision, it’s important to have a clear view of the full offer: the work itself, the company, the team, the opportunities to grow, the flexibility they offer (work/life balance). Candidates need to make sure they ask the right questions during the interview process and be critical if what is being offered is in line with their long-term ambitions. Whichever job you choose, it should move you further down the road towards reaching those long-term ambitions.

We advise candidates to think about their Strategic Career Plan before starting the search for their next challenge. Why? Having a Strategic Career Plan is the foundation for achieving your long-term ambitions. This in turn, will make it easier for you to make the right decision if you are ever in a situation where you receive multiple offers. For more information on Strategic Career Planning read our articles on this topic:

https://www.treasurersearch.com/blogs/3/0mejr9-how-to-use-the-swot-analysis-for-strategic-career-planning   
https://www.treasurersearch.com/blogs/3/mjybvv-mind-the-gap%3A-gap-analysis-in-strategic-career-planning   
https://www.treasurersearch.com/blogs/3/3kbck6-career-calibration-and-the-treasurer-test
We will always be available for you if you need help in this (and any other) stage of the recruitment process. Don’t hesitate to contact me, or one of my colleagues, if you have any questions.

Recently we had a number of situations where the candidate and employer were not able to come to an agreement. This is frustrating for all involved and, I hope, the intention of none of them. Before the recent crisis going through a recruitment process, in order to benchmark your current situation and force you current employer to raise your salary, did happen. I hope these times will not return but I suspect they might already have. This is what we do to prevent this.

Have the offer of the client clear

During an intake meeting with a client, I will ask what the salary bandwidth for that specific position is and if there are scenarios in which he will consider a candidate with higher demands. Furthermore I try to get as much insight into fringe benefits. Some employers are a bit reluctant to disclose too much because then this is an incentive for a candidate to raise his expectations. I always remind them that a candidate has to deal with competition: other candidates might be willing to start for less.

Have the expectations of the candidate clear

During a (telephone) interview I will ask the candidate what his current package is and what are his expectations. I will not ask for the small details but will give an indication what to expect if they pursue a specific opportunity. The remark that a current package is not related to the salary in a new job is understandable. But let’s be practical. Why should I take your time with an assignment with a non-matching salary?

What we furthermore do to manage the salary part of the match-making process

Besides having the offer and expectations clear we will do the following:

• Unless stated differently, the salary mentioned in an advertisement is the annual base salary. In The Netherlands this is a 12.96*monthly salary;
• We will mention the maximum if this is defined;
• In the final stages of the recruitment process we will ask for every detail to prevent mismatches, both current as well as expectations. This includes base salary, bonus, expenses, telephone, car, pension, vacation, education, flex work, etcetera;
• In case of an interim assignment, we will mention the rate the interim manager receives for every hour worked. Expenses are not included in this amount.
• An application process is, for both employer as well as employee, exchanging information in order to decide if there is a good match. The scenario remains that everything matches only not the remuneration. We will have to accept this,

Pieter de Kiewit

In recent years the use of online assessments in recruitment processes has increased. Both the interfaces as well as the validity of the tests has improved, costs went down. Our clients use them more often, we do too for our own organisation. With Heleen entering our organisation, she is an educated assessment psychologist, this topic is even more prominent on our agenda.

Being invited to do an on-line assessment is positive, you move forward in the recruitment process, as well as a reason to get nervous. Below some pointers how to prepare best:

• Ask what will be tested, preferably what the name of the test and test supplier is, and Google it. Ask about the length of the test;
• The two biggest categories in testing have either a focus on cognitive/skills elements or on your personality. Find out what will be tested;
• If it is a cognitive/skills test, find examples and practise. Most of the time three aspects are measured: verbal insight (verbal analogies and/or verbal deductions), numerical insight (number series) and abstract insight (figure matrices or figure classifications). The internet offers enough sample tests;
• In a cognitive/skills test your speed and percentage of correct answers (and sometimes percentage of wrong answers) is tested. Most of the time there are more questions than anybody can handle. If you do not finish in time or freeze don’t get stressed, breathe a few times, but move forward;
• It’s more difficult to prepare for personality tests because it’s hard to influence them. Most of the time they consist of a lot of questions. Typically you have to indicate on a scale of 1 to 5 how well a statement describes you or you have to choose between statements like “I enjoy working alone” or “I always decide quickly”. It’s best to think of the person you are in a job context. You could try to think what personality aspects are important for the potential employer but this is tricky. You should know that the consistence of your answers is measured and that most employers will also test the results in a follow up interview.
• Take care you are well rested, have something to drink and eat, be sure you will not be disturbed and have strong internet;
• If you do not receive them automatically, ask for the results. And finally, discussing the results might be part of the test. So stay on your toes until the end.

Good luck with your test!

Heleen Bos & Pieter de Kiewit

Every month I meet a few: people who are considering becoming freelance contractors. During the crisis there were many who were between jobs, and now there are those who are done in their current position. As we recruit for permanent as well as for interim positions we are often involved in brainstorming. The following aspects are almost always mentioned in our brainstorming:

• Salary is not the same as revenue: the bottom line is calculated differently and the contractor has to take many new things into consideration: taxes, expenses, insurance, vacation, education, not having an assignment, etc. For the contractors in our market who are always in an assignment, the bottom line is better than when they would be employed;
• Unemployed have to talk to the body that pays their benefits (in The Netherlands UWV). Long term rights might be harmed by accepting a short term assignment;
• The paperwork is not as elaborate as one might expect. The Chambers of Commerce are quite cooperative;
• The contractor is never part of the team, always a bystander;
• The client will not invest in the development of a contractor, that is his/her own responsibility. Most likely the hired contractor will be overqualified, being able to hit the ground running;
• A special and recognizable skill, like knowing a certain software or funding type, is an asset that might land the assignment but can also lead to the contractor being a “one trick pony”;
• The contractor has the chance to work in various environments, and will almost always be in a position where one can impact: transitions and crisis management;
• Recruiters for interim managers and other intermediaries deserve their fee and are a good channel to land an assignment. Be aware that the actual client will judge the performance upon the client fee, not the fee paid to the contractor. Asking about the fee level makes sense;

Finally the most important aspect in becoming a contractor or not: being able to handle the stress that comes with not having an assignment. Is there a savings account one can rely on or an alternative source of funding?
The list is not comprehensive. What do you think should be added and what are your experiences with the above?

Pieter de Kiewit

Below you find a brief summary of what we can do for you and what we expect from you as a potential candidate.

What can you expect from Treasurer Search?

• We are often aware of vacancies that you may not be able to find. One reason for this is that we have a warm network of clients and candidates. In some cases, we recruit on an exclusive basis for our client, which means that we are the only party that manages the vacancy.
• We can inform you about developments in the labor market and give advice on the next steps.
• In addition to forwarding a resume, we try to give our client a complete picture of you as a person by means of a short match report. We briefly explain why we think you are a match for the relevant position. In our experience, this can ultimately be the deciding factor in whether or not to be invited to an interview.
  We can give you more information about the organization, and in the case of an interview about the people attending it. This allows you to properly prepare yourself for the job interview.
• Is an assessment part of the application process? Then we can give you additional information about the type of assessment that will be used for optimal preparation.
• We do our best to keep you informed about our vacancies and ongoing application processes. Do you expect feedback from us and have you not yet received it? You can always call or email us for an update.
• In the last phase of the recruitment process, we can also provide you with counseling for the employment conditions interview.

What does Treasurer Search expect from you?

There are also a number of things that you, as a candidate, can do to make the recruitment process as smooth as possible.

• We expect you to inform us about the alternatives that you have (this also applies when you have accepted an offer elsewhere or when you stop searching for a new challenge). For example, it can occur that you are in different application processes both with us and through other channels. By keeping us informed of this, we can take this into account when we communicate with our clients. For example, when you are in the final phase of a different application process, we can draw our clients’ attention to this and advise them to respond quickly when they are also interested.
• To prevent a selection procedure in the final phase from breaking down on salary, we need a salary indication. For this, we ask for your current salary and your desired salary. It is also possible that you give us your salary indication, provided that we do not communicate this to our client. In this way, we can make a good estimation of whether this fits within the salary range of the vacancy in question or whether it is better to look further for a more suitable position.
• Have you just had an interview with one of our clients? Then we would very much appreciate it if you could make time to tell us how it went and if you are interested in a possible follow-up. This is possible both by telephone and by e-mail. In this way, we can immediately give your feedback to our clients when they ask for it.

Hopefully, this blog will give you a clear(er) picture of what you can expect from us as a candidate and what you can do yourself to ensure that the application process runs as smoothly as possible. We look forward to forging as many successes as possible together!

Kim Vercoulen

If you are not used to the work-from-home lifestyle it can be difficult to be just as productive as when you are working at the office. Although we all face different challenges, because we all have different work, personalities and lifestyles, many core issues are the same. A lot of tips can be found on the internet to boost your remote-working life, in this blog I will discuss a few tips that I personally find very helpful.

Build in routines going in (and out) of work

If you are used to going to the office for work, the separation between work and home is physical. Because this line blurs when working from home, it’s important to create this separation by setting up an office space (a standard spot in the house with all your working necessities). This way entering your ‘office’ will help you turn “on” and leaving the office will help you turn “off” at the end of the day.  It’s also good to keep your regular morning routine, especially if you will be going back to “normal” office life in the future. Consider walking an artificial commute around the block from your breakfast to work.

Keep regular working hours

Working from home gives you the flexibility to start earlier or to extend your work day when necessary. This is one of the benefits from working remotely, but it’s also one of the downfalls. Keeping to your regular working hours (for at least most of the time) helps you to maintain a good work-life balance. Try to start at the same time, build in short breaks as you would do at the office and take a lunch break at regular hours. Also make sure you close of your screen and leave your workplace during your lunch break. This way you can really switch off and start the second part of your day fresh.

Communication is key

When you are working from home it’s easy to get sucked into your own projects, without keeping your colleagues up to date on the process. At the same time it’s easy to lose sight of what your colleagues are doing, which can easily lead to miscommunication between you and your colleagues. The key is to make a communication plan, in which you state how often you check in with each other. For example, in the morning we always start with a video call kick off in which we describe our to do lists and priorities for the day. During the day, don’t hesitate to reach out to the same people you would usually turn to. Also think about the communication channel that you use. Would you normally talk to someone in person? Then it might be best to pick up the phone and (video)call. Is what you want to communicate easier done by email or text message, then choose this as your communication channel.

Go outside

Working from home doesn’t mean you should stay indoors all day. Myself, I find it helpful to go for a walk during lunch break to clear my head and to get some movement and fresh air. It also helps to undo mental blocks and gives you new energy to start the second part of your work day. This tip is not only viable when working from home, if you are working at the office it can also be reviving to go for a walk outdoors.

These are a few of a very long list of tips on the internet that helped me with my productivity while working from home. If you have any great tips that need to be shared please don’t hesitate to share them in the comment section. Stay safe!

For some people, their new year’s resolutions involve finding a new career challenge. If this is you, you might appreciate a little advice. We have written several articles to guide you every step of the way in your job search. Below you find a handy oversight of these articles.

The first step in every job search is getting a clear view of what your next step should look like. Strategic Career Planning can help you find your way and keep you on the right path:

• How to use the SWOT analysis for Strategic Career Planning
• Mind the Gap: Gap Analysis in Strategic Career Planning

When you have decided what your next challenge should look like, it’s time to take a closer look at your CV and to update and adjust where needed:

• Looking for a new job opportunity? Update your CV!

You might want to use our services as we are a niche recruiter in treasury. Here you find more information on what we can do for you and what we expect from your side:

• The recruitment process: what can we do for you and what do we expect from you?

Great news! You landed an interview for your dream job! Here are a few articles that can help you prepare:

• 7 pointers on how to prepare for your job interview
• How to answer job interview questions using the STAR technique
• Fake it till you make it: 10 body language tips for your next job interview

When you are actively looking for a job it’s very common to apply for multiple jobs in a short amount of time. Too often we see it happening people not remembering their prior applications and apply for a second time for the same position (sometimes through different channels). This could send a signal of disinterest for the company where you applied. To make sure this doesn’t happen to you, I want to offer a few tips on how you can easily keep track of your job search:

• Why you should keep track of your job search and some practical tips

I hope these articles will give you some guidance in your search for a new challenge. If you are contemplating your next career step and would like to talk about this, don’t hesitate to contact me or my colleague Pieter for a career calibration meeting! We might even be able to get you low threshold access to the TreasurerTest for career planning purposes.

On a regular basis we write about your career planning in treasury, our opinions and observations. Two articles that are relatively well-read about this on our site are:

•    Let’s have a career calibration call or meeting
•    Help in every stage of your job search

Also, you might have noticed that we are big fans of the Treasurer Test. The original thought behind this on-line assessment comes purely from selection, based upon two thoughts. First, under 15% of the people working in treasury did not complete a dedicated treasury education. Second, many people hiring a treasurer do not have treasury knowledge. So how do you know if the candidate you hire is the right one?

Over time applications of the Test have been expanded. Full team assessments have been done and consultants designed treasury departments based upon skills and personality traits shown in the report: Treasurer Test example report. In all these cases, Tests have been bought by employers.

Increasingly, we notice employees coming to us, also in career calibration meetings with various questions like:
•    How do I do in comparison to others in the treasury labour market?
•    I am considering investing in a treasury education, which one suits me best?
•    Do I have a personality type that matches people management tasks?

With objective measurement through the Treasurer Test, combined with an extensive (telephone) meeting these types of questions can be addressed even better than with a normal career calibration meeting. Both Kim and I are trained in the interpretation of the results, the technical as well as the Big5 personality part. Together we can discuss your path forward.

We know that the price of the Test for personal use is considered relatively high. For employers that makes sense: hiring the wrong candidate causes substantially higher costs. Together with the people of treasuryXL we decided that in many career calibration situations, we can work with a substantial discount. Team Treasurer Search will also receive the Test results, discuss them with you, and will try to find you your next position: we are search consultants first, not career counsellors. If you want to know more, just let me know. We are happy to inform you further.

Pieter de Kiewit
pdk@treasurersearch.com 

Team Treasurer Search holds decades of full-time labour market experience. Recruitment processes do not hold many secrets for us, if any. On average, our research shows, a corporate treasurer changes jobs every six years. So what seems obvious for us, might not be for you. So we sat together to compile a list of practical aspects we think you should know about as an applicant, working with us.

1. Our website is most up-to-date of all online communication channels we use. Over 95% of our assignments is posted on our website. From there, the advertisements are distributed through jobsites and social media, partly by our doing, partly because others copy our texts. We cannot prevent there is outdated information out there;
2. You can apply through our website but also call or email us directly. We prefer the first option. Applying for the same position through jobsites, social media and our website (yes it happens) does not serve anybody and only wastes time and damages your reputation;
3. We do not discriminate. Not because we are not allowed, not because we think gender, religion, sexual orientation, passport or other aspects tell how well you will do the job and not because it is the decent thing to do. If we can stimulate diversity, we do. So often we refer to the candidate as “she”. Not because we think men or others cannot do the job;
4. Unless mentioned otherwise, the described salary is the base salary. In The Netherlands this is 12 month salaries and 8% holiday allowance. More detailed information comes later in the process for candidates who might qualify and are interested. We want to stress that the described salary is not excactly what will be paid to the final candidate, there are many factors that decide the salary level on the contract;
5. A job description is not a legal document or promise for the future. Purpose of the description is to inform and stimulate matching candidates to apply and start further information exchange. It is also to inform those who don’t, that reaching out is most likely a waste of time;
6. When we write that something is “a must” to qualify for a position that means that, if you cannot offer this, applying is a waste of your and our time;
7. If a text is written in Dutch or any other non-English language, you can assume you are expected to speak this language;
8. We almost always advertise anonymously. If you qualify and are interested, we will disclose the name of our client. This is to protect our clients from non-matching candidates or fellow recruiters claiming their time. This also means that we, as recruiters and you as candidate, have a commitment, let’s call it a social contract, towards each other to work together and try to reach the finish line. Only reach out to the discussed potential employer with us knowing;
9. Please inform us about other recruitment process you might be in. Managing processes in parallel benefits all;
10. We will keep you informed about the process as good as we can. If you are curious and/or impatient, we do not mind if you “poke us”. We are not a “don’t call us, we call you agency”.
11. We often mention the Treasurer Test as part of  the recruitment process. If you are asked to take the Test, it is paid by our client. The report will be presented to you first and only upon your approval it will be released to your potential employer. When you do not approve, for example because you do not like the result, likelihood is low you will proceed. If you want to take the Test as part of your career planning, let us know. Perhaps we can get you the career counselling price.

Many of the candidates and hiring managers we work with are not trained in doing job interviews. They are driven by their job content: funding, risk management or optimal cash management solutions. Having nice and knowledgeable colleagues for them can be great, but the process of finding new ones is not so much. If treasurers get together, more often than not talks will be about treasury techniques. But there is so much more in life!

Internal recruiters, HR managers and CFOs are not driven by your treasury job content. They think about having enough and the right staff, about profitability or about strategy. Finding the right treasury staff is, also for them, one of their many tasks. The vocabulary they will use in their meeting with a treasurer, especially the HR specialists, will contain competences. A competency is a set of defined behaviours that provide a structured guide enabling the identification, evaluation and development of the behaviours in individual employees (Wikipedia). Examples of competences are: communication skills, leadership and commercial awareness. It can be useful to think about your competences, the ones needed for your current or ideal next position. Especially with the following in mind.

Many recruiters will structure their interviews around the competences they are looking for, the ones they defined from the corporate strategy and input from the hiring manager. Their assumption is that past behaviour predicts future behaviour. An often-used technique to measure competences in an interview is the so-called STAR technique. Interviewers will look for a Situation from your past in which you had a certain Task. What were your Actions and to what Result did this lead? One can recognize these interview types because recruiters will ask questions like: Can you describe a situation in which you could show your leadership skills/result orientation/ability to cooperate? The internet is full of information about this topic, see for example https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0nN7Q7DrI6Q

We hope with this in mind you will have another way of looking at your job and be better prepared for your next job interview. Preferably with our clients or candidates