Be more you

It’s time to face the facts. Mental health is just as important as physical health. The lucky few of us experience long periods of good mental health, however, others will experience mental ill-health which can be caused by a chronic condition or triggered by life events. One in four people in the UK will experience a mental health condition in the next year. One in six will experience poor mental health within the next week. Triggers can include personal life changes such as a relationship breakdown, or a change at work (including happy events) such as starting a new job or dealing with an increased workload. Hands up who of you would feel confident talking to your manager about your mental health? Or to call in sick due to stress rather than a physical condition like the flu? You’re likely not the only one who kept your hand down. 1 in 5 people have taken a day off due to stress, but the Mental Health Foundation has found that a whopping 90% of us feel unable to tell their employer that mental health is the reason for their absence. Despite a huge increase of awareness about mental health issues at work, there has also been an unfortunate increase in negative attitudes and stigma towards those with mental health – leading to a growing lack in confidence of employers discussing the importance of mental health with their employees. We all want to be valued for who we really are in the workplace. Here are some top tips on how to manage your job search and navigate the employment world when you are experiencing a period of mental ill health, and to those already employed on how to disclose you have mental ill health to your employer. Look After Yourself Looking for the right job can be really tough. It can be frustrating, time-consuming, isolating and it if you are living with a mental health condition it can feel 100 times worse. So try your best to keep things in perspective, don’t let looking for a job overwhelm you, and make sure you take time to look after yourself during the process. Take time out to relax (perhaps some meditation, read a book or spend some time with friends), try to do some exercise (even a walk can help), try to get a regular sleeping pattern, and make sure you’re eating well too (a healthy diet is proven to make you feel better)! You also need to be realistic about the job hunting process and manage your expectations. The marketplace is competitive, the interview process can take a long time depending on bureaucracy at the company, and it might take some time to find the perfect fit. Don’t be disheartened when it doesn’t happen overnight! You can do this! Manage your time Do you find yourself constantly applying for anything remotely close to what you want to do? Do you think that your job search is all about quantity over quality? In most cases, this will be counterproductive, and your time would be better spent focusing on specifically tailoring your CV and cover letter/application for each role that you REALLY want (4-5 is a good number). Rather than “spraying and praying” sub-standard applications! You may find it beneficial to build a relationship with an agency recruiter that you trust, who knows you and what you want, and can send you across to the companies where they have built great relationships with their clients and can ensure the role is a perfect fit for both. It also helps with saving you time and effort! If you suffer from anxiety and get easily overwhelmed, you will also find a recruiter useful for managing the interview process for you and as well as all the employer contact, and negotiating the best offer possible on your behalf. Or if you prefer a DIY approach, you may find it useful to create a job search plan at the beginning of your search (Jobsite has a good template). As well as a job application tracker (Huntr is a useful free app) to help focus your time and help you feel less overwhelmed. According to David Clift, HR Director of Stepstone UK, it’s all about time management. “The key is to break your time down into manageable chunks so that you can keep yourself motivated. Utilise your time well; use your lunch breaks, evenings and weekends to search for roles, write your applications and prepare for interviews. Subscribing to job alerts is also a good way to help you keep on track of listings 24/7.” Nail your CV A clearly formatted and well-laid out CV is also an essential, often overlooked, part of the process. This will be your first impression on the hiring manager – and as we all know first impressions count to get to the next stage! Here are some top tips to ensure it looks as polished as possible: Tailor your CV for each application you make Use a standard font such as Calibri, Arial or Times New Roman that is easy to read, with good font size (10+) Include a brief summary at the beginning giving an overview of your experience and what you’re seeking to achieve in your next role Following that, include a list of key skills which highlights technologies and experience you’ve had. Make sure technologies/experience listed in the job specification that you’ve had experience in is included here. Work history comes next, be sure to include company names with clear dates, job titles, responsibilities and skills. Key facts and metrics such as clients, products worked with, projects worked on and key achievements. Education follows experience – if you have a degree, don’t worry about including GCSEs but remember to include all the relevant certificates and courses. If you have any gaps between jobs don’t leave this open to interpretation. Write a short line between jobs explaining the reason for the gap such as: ‘Between Sep 2015 and Jan 2016 I took some time out for personal development where I completed X course’ Prepare for your interview “Can you please explain what you were doing for a year between Dec 2012 and 2013?” Your pulse starts racing, your throat goes dry, and you stumble over your words, as you struggle to explain that your ongoing battle with depression and anxiety caused you to take some time out to recover after having a breakdown. You want to tell them the truth but fear it will go against you getting the role. It is reasonable for a potential employer to ask about what they see as “red flags” on your CV. Red flags include employment gaps and short stints at companies (i.e. “job hopping”); as they could perceive this as that you are an unreliable employee that loses interest quickly, and perhaps isn’t very skilled if it takes you a long time to get a new role. When you have been invited for an interview – first of all – congratulate yourself! Job seeking is not easy, so it’s important to celebrate every success, big or small. Rejection is tough, made worse for people living with mental health conditions. That is why it is so important to recognise the importance of each achievement, each step of the way! Next – you need to prepare, practice and then put in more practice. A good recruiter will help any candidate prepare for the interview as standard – providing an overview of the interview, the role and company, what the interviewer will be looking for, tricky questions to prepare for, and remind you what your strengths and weaknesses are. (Take a look at some more top interview tips like this here) Further to this they will give you homework to do your research, and read thoroughly through the company website and job specification, and thinking through answers to potential questions. If you know you have red flags, you need to take this preparation to another level and analyse your CV. Fiona Thomas, a mental health blogger advises to think about what stands out on your CV as a red flag for potential employers, and advises to be prepared to address those concerns. Have you changed jobs a lot recently or even changed career? Are there any long gaps of unemployment? Although they might not even ask you any questions about this, it is always better to be prepared rather than unprepared! It’s important to not see gaps on your CV as a barrier to future employment – lots of people have gaps in their employment history, but the key to overcoming this is knowing how to talk confidently about the gaps, and what experiences you gained during them. Know your rights and how to disclose Is it legal to be questioned about your mental health during a job interview? When do I have to disclose? No it is not legal. According to ELAS employment law consultant Jacob Demeza-Wilkinson, ‘A candidate does not have to mention any medical condition during a job interview,’ he says. ‘Even if asked, there is no obligation to answer the question.’ Disclosing your mental health condition is a personal choice – you don’t have to disclose until you decide you want to. Legally, under the Equality Act, employers cannot discriminate against people experiencing long-term mental ill-health, however, some employers are less aware than others, so it is important you have the right advice and information before doing anything. To find out more about knowing your rights and disclosing your mental health, take a look at some of the links at the end of the article. Hopefully, after your preparation, you will have now made it through the interview process AND have been made and accepted your job offer. You will have also positively disclosed your condition and have started your new job, requesting the workplace adjustments you need. If you need any further support, there is a free and confidential in-work support service run by ‘Remploy’, supported through the government’s Access to Work programme and is designed for anyone starting employment that is experiencing mental health problems. Their services include: return to work plans, communication techniques, confidence building, Implementing reasonable adjustments or actions, mediation between employer and employee, using the parachute tool to help pinpoint the issues, and signposting to appropriate services such as counselling. Their web address is: https://www.remploy.co.uk/ I’m one of the lucky few. Eligo has a fantastic supportive culture and has implemented a duvet day scheme. Woken up and feel that the world is too much? You just need some time off to chill out? No problem. Whatever it is, you’ve got 4 to use per year, no questions asked, in addition to your holiday and extra time off over the Christmas period. Interested in finding out more about what it’s like working for Eligo? Find out more on our Hunted page. If you have any questions about any of the above topics or would like some help on your job hunt, please don’t hesitate to get in touch! katiep@eligo.co.uk 020 8971 1883 Helpful links ELAS, Jacob Demeza-Wilkinson, Mental Illness and Job Interviews: https://www.elas.uk.com/mental-illness-job-interviews/ Contact the Aim4Work employment advisors at Shaw Trust, who are able to offer you advice on disclosing (shaw-trust.org.uk/aim4work). Shaw Trust, How to Positively Disclose Mental Ill Health at Work: https://www.shaw-trust.org.uk/en-GB/Media-policy/Blog/April-2017/How-to-Positively-Disclose-Mental-Ill-Health-at-Wo The government website ‘Access to Work’ provides information on reasonable adjustments as well as other really useful information. Their web address isgov.uk/access-to-work/overview Telling my Employer: https://www.mind.org.uk/information-support/legal-rights/discrimination-at-work/telling-my-employer/#.XEWzulX7SUk Share this article

Over the years social media has shown to be an effective tool in attracting and sourcing the brightest tech talent out there; with nine out of ten companies using some form of social media to attract, engage and source candidates. You will already know that having a good social media presence can only mean good things for business in the tech sector (unless you’ve failed at social media like these sorry folk) but by adding a few of these tips to your social media strategy you could increase your chances of attracting top tech talent to your company. Brand yourself clearly and successfully You may be doing a great job in printed branding and even your website, but your company brand extends across the social sphere with Linkedin one of the most important sites to consider. LinkedIn is a great professional platform for candidates and companies to screen each other and for businesses looking to attract tech talent, and it is important that you present yourselves in a good light for the industry, as Justine Healey from Launchpad says that; “In this new transparent climate in which everyone is looking at everybody, companies can no longer afford to slack on maintaining their online presence on LinkedIn. In order to compete, employers must ensure company profiles are up to scratch.” Even passive candidates tend to follow companies of interest on LinkedIn, so keeping an up to date company profile can go a long way in possibly turning a passive candidate in to an active one. To compete with other companies in your industry, branding is essential by sharing information about your brand, product and its services. Read more on using your employer brand to attract tech talent here. Presenting Company Culture Company branding also applies to being transparent with your company’s culture to attract tech talent that is a great fit for you. Utilising social media channels to promote your company culture is the perfect way in the digital age to increase the possibility of candidates seeking you out. Not only will they seek you out, it is likely candidates will take a look at your social channels to get a feel of the company and also follow companies that interest them. Experts have found that “the differentiators for job seekers will usually be culture and reputation, and social platforms offer a great opportunity for businesses to bring these to life.” Ideas for using these channels include; LinkedIn- Promote your company values and goals by posting company updates such as blogs written by employees, testimonials from clients and employees and photographs from company events. Snapchat- Snapchat has quickly become one of the most popular video social platforms of the 21st century with over 55 billion monthly active users, and it can be used by companies to show a day in the life of an employee, by adding short video clips and photographs to your own personal ‘Story’. Instagram- Similarly Instagram can be used as a picture board to showcase everything from your working environment, team events, and more, all presenting an enlightening view of your company culture. Facebook- Inhibiting all the attributes we have come to associate with social networks, on Facebook you are able to garner reviews, likes, and interact with potential candidates and tech talent in a way that has never been easier. Set up albums of photos, post updates, engage with your followers, and much more. Using these techniques is a great way to personalise your profile on social media within the tech industry. Utilise twitter and its trending capabilities Don’t fret – we haven’t forgotten about twitter. Despite shouts of the death of twitter,it still has a reported 310 million monthly active users and an estimated 40% of employees in technical roles using the social platform. As such, it has often been touted as a tool with a lot of potential within recruitment. As with the other social platforms Twitter is another useful platform to market your company’s brand. This can be achieved a number of ways from making your employees brand advocates on the platform, to following and using popular branded hashtags. Before using trending hashtags however, always do your research, and don’t fall foul like these bad examples! Demonstrate that you’re up to date with the latest tech news As a business within the technology sector you will already be pretty up to date with the latest tech industry news from Brexit to Pokémon Go, so by sharing and showing interest in new developments and technologies that candidates are talking about on social media you are more likely to get noticed and seen as a credible business within the market. Involve yourself with online communities By using hashtags in your twitter posts, you are also involving yourself in Twitter chats and can join in with conversations with other businesses, industry leaders and candidates on current hot topics in tech. LinkedIn groups are especially effective for engaging in professional communities, both niche and broad. Follow relevant groups, engage, and participate and you’re likely to be noticed and accepted by many more active and passive candidates within the industry. There are also popular tech groups and pages on Facebook, by liking the pages and engaging by sharing posts and events you can successfully involve yourself fully in the tech community. Now to get started on your social strategy So now you’ve absorbed all this information it’s time to get started on aligning your social strategy with attracting the best talent out there. You may already have a social strategy in place and a presence online, but to change your strategy to attract talent you will need to; Do an audit of where your accounts are currently at and set in place goals for where you want them to be in the future. If there are social channels mentioned above that you don’t have a presence on and think they would work for your company, then add them to your strategy and set yourself up. Work with your marketing team on how you would like to present your employer brand and a framework to engage and empower employees. It’s important to know what your employer brand is and stands for and that it is agreed at all levels before projecting it to the world. Decide on a level of activity that will work for your company, whether it’s posting daily or a few times a week, the level of activity will depend on each social channel as well as taking into account when the best times to post. If employees are involved with your company’s social activity be sure to set in a set of social media guidelines. Whilst posting a picture of your employees enjoying a drink on a sunny Friday in the local beer garden is a great way to highlight company culture, a blurry image of drunken employees doing shots at the bar doesn’t convey the same positive image. There’s a line between giving an insight to the company culture and damaging your reputation as a business. Don’t lose momentum Keeping on track of your social media presence is essential to attracting talent in the long run, it might take some time at first but perseverance will pay off to attract the right tech talent to your business. With a quarter of job seekers using social media to find a job, you can’t afford to miss out on attracting the brightest tech talent to your company and jobs on offer. We’d love to talk more about how we can utilise and build your employer brand in order to attract the best tech talent out there, get in touch for a quick chat on. Email: info@eligo.co.uk Phone: +44 (0) 208 944 4180 Twitter: Eligo Technology – @EligChlo