Category: Candidate/recruiter

It is impossible for an employee who cares about having a successful yearly performance review and gain a variety of profits that come with it, to go through that assessment that is extremely important for one’s career path, with no prior preparation. It is, therefore, highly recommended to prepare as thoroughly as possible. For both parties, whether it is the employer or the employee, a yearly performance review is not to be taken lightly. You will find, in this article,  all the essentials you need to know to calmly deal with that assessment review that is generally something very stressful for a lot of workers. We will see how to be ready beforehand, for the yearly review itself. It is even more necessary knowing that it is unthinkable to go to it without preparing that assessment down to the smallest detail. There is a reason why normally, they inform you about your yearly performance review about 15 days before, actually.

A. Self-evaluation, an essential step before undergoing your yearly performance review

A yearly performance review is an assessment that asks for a maximum of objectivity because after all, it is a way of improving. This is the reason why, as an employee, you need to go through the process of a self-evaluation before the actual interview.

Usually, you must go through that process all year long but if that is not the case, take advantage of those 15 days that they normally give you to think about it and put in writing all the elements that would allow you to be as accurate as possible on the big day. A self-evaluation represents an essential step to successfully pass your yearly performance review. It is crucial to be objective if you want to earn some credibility from your employer. In brief, a self-evaluation for a yearly performance review must be done in 6 big steps.

B. The steps to a self-evaluation for a yearly performance review

1. Do a report of your year. It must have a direct link between your accomplishments and your goals.

2. Make a list of your main accomplishments and of the areas where you struggled throughout the year.

3. Complete an accurate self-evaluation. How well do you know or are you efficient in your way of handling this or that task?

4. Identify the areas where you might need some improvements. Keep in mind that being objective can only work on your favor and will show that you are clear headed and capable of questioning  yourself.

5. choose some potential training in areas where you are struggling with. Based on areas where you need improvement, you should be able to know if and where you need training.

6. Draft your short term and long term goals : how do you see yourself developing within the company, what next steps you plan on taking toward your career path? Have you decided to leave the company and when exactly are you planning on doing so?

C. Carefully fill out the evaluation table…

Your company could possibly hand you an evaluation table. If that is the case then make sure to fill it the right way. If you use that tool the way you should use it then it should allow you to identify your assets and you weaknesses in terms of improving. A well written evaluation table should contain  objective elements.

The goal of such a document is not to judge you as a person but to put you in a perspective of analysis of your performances and your behaviors so you can take the actions that are required. In other words, self-evaluation is a way that allows you to have a review of your assets and your weaknesses so you can find your own ways of improving them. Once you have done this assessment, you can peacefully go through the yearly performance review itself.

This last few years, we have been told over and over that that Africa is a land of opportunities and that actually happens to be true. The future of Africa is shaping up and leading us to believe that wonderful surprises are to come. The fact that Nigeria has joined the G20 is a proof of that and soon more African countries will do the same, with no shadow of a doubt. However, even though it is true that Africa has true potentials, as an investor, one should know how to go about it in order to make it. Therefore, even though a lot of businessmen have chosen to go to Africa this last few years, as we are noticing foreign companies sprouting all over the African continent, nonetheless plenty of them have yet to entirely benefit from what African has to offer. Why? A lack of knowledge of certain tips and certain cultural codes that are specific to each of the many countries that make the African market.

A good knowledge of the cultural codes

The first thing that an investor should do, if he seeks to have a successful business, is to realise how necessary it is to adapt culturally, to be well prepared and to know how to approach the African market. This is even more true considering the fact that Africa is large and home to many ethnicities different from one another. They have a different kind of living, a different way of thinking, a different way of eating compared to the country next door. “Slides are not enough, you need to know how to send a message. You must be capable of winning the trust of the person you will speak to. The only way of doing that would be to know the cultural codes”, suggested the counselor Fouad Benathmane, Export Area manager for the pharmaceutical lab company Bottu. Nadia Mensah-Acogny, Co-Founder & COO of the firm Acosphere seems to agree with that because she thinks that it is necessary for people who want to come in a sub-saharan country to get information about the culture, about how to approach the people from that country, about how to speak, how to gain trust.

Learn to know Africa !

It is always important for a foreign investor to know Africa. In order to do that, many are those that take some days off and go to a hotel. Even though it is an interesting initiative, it is not however good enough to claim to know the country where you are coming to. Also, Africa as told on the internet, in books, or by friends is never the same as when you experience it for yourself. When you decide to launch a business in Africa, you must conduct a proper assessment of the African market. You need a total immersion for at least 2 or 3 months. Even if you are from Africa and need to settle your business in a country different from the one you were born in, that immersion is necessary to you too, even if it is somewhere you are familiar with. It will help you try on differents countries, whether in West Africa, in Central or even North Africa.

Take the time to do an assessment of the African market, its potentials and its needs.

An investment requires a market assessment no matter where you want to do it. In order to have reliable elements about the African market, giving some money that will allow you to have access to some elements from inquiry results from Marketting firms, is not a waste of your money. This is a valuable tip to take seriously into consideration. 
especially if you are an investor who cares about making it in the African market. Don’t make the mistake of thinking that the few things you know about Africa via the internet will allow you to have a complete idea of the real challenges of the market. Only specialists will be able to give you a straight and honest answer because after all investing somewhere is not something to be taken lightly.

In a world where the digitization of the economy is moving at the speed of light, the ICT sector is one of the most dynamic ones all over the world. That dynamic conqueror of digital economy does not spare the black continent. The ICT sector is one of the most popular industry in that part of the world. ICT and tech startups industry have widely spread all over Africa, co-working spaces and incubators have been sprouting up. From Mauritius Island to Kenya, going through Ghana, Nigeria, Senegal, it appears as Africa is about to boost its growth thanks to ICTs. This new trend contributes to the creation of new jobs that require ICT skills, something that people specialized in that area are very happy about. In this article, we will zoom in 3 promising career path to pursue in Africa.

Community & Digital manager

The Community and Digital Manager is multi-skilled person whose job is to manage and moderate communities. He must have an expert knowledge of social media like Facebook, Twitter, Linkedin, Instagram, YouTube, Snap. He must be able to manage one or many communities that are in those networks. He possesses multiple skills especially in the digital sector. The Community and Digital manager put it upon himself to meet with communities of developers, business owners and ICT decision makers, set up targeted flash meetings. The qualities of a good community manager consist of, among other things, being an expert in his line of business within his community, having a good knowledge of the web culture and being able to elaborate communication strategies on social media.

Business Developer

This active participant of the digital profession who has now become crucial, is in charge of finding new markets for companies that work with incubators. The Business developer attend meetings between companies and potential investors in order to help them negotiate contracts. The main role of the Business Developer is to overcome the issue of lack of funding of the company. For that reason, he has a key role in the growth of the company. The Business Developer job like many other jobs in the digital industry, is not really known in Africa. Nonetheless, in view of the recent shift of trends and because it is so important, everything leads to believe that this job is going to evolve.

Hub Manager and project manager of a coworking space or an incubator

His mission is to manage the team of the company and its development. He is also in charge of seeking funding and finances. The Hub Manager and project manager of a coworking space is in charge of the local and international visibility of the organization. This executive must possess the ability to develop relationships with other companies, networks, universities, investors, multinationals, in many countries. There is nothing wrong with the incubator trying to do some Business Development for companies and bring them counseling on their business model, their fundraisings or call for tenders. He supervises the creation of new coaching and events programs. People who are interested in a promising career in Africa can indeed opt for that position which is becoming more and more popular in the African continent.

Almost all HR specialists agree on the fact that a well written cover letter makes a big difference in the eyes of the recruiters even though the point of having one is questionable. This is the reason why some mistakes are not to be made in the process of writing it. Find out about those mistakes in the following.

1. A neat layout

There is a lot of cover letters that fail to convince recruiters because of a bad choice of characters, a bad size of police, but also a layout that is not accessable. A good number of candidates have a tendency of neglecting those aspects because they don’t know that the layout of a cover letter is the first thing that reflects the personality of a candidate for a job. Actually with all the dozens or hundreres of cover letters they will have to read, they will obviously be more interested in the ones that are neat and easier to read. «Form rather than substance » as we say. It is better to opt for one with the same simple police size and character like Times new roman, calibri or cambria.

2. Bad editorial quality

It is necessary for a cover letter to be simple and clear. For that reason, you must use a comprehensible vocabulary to make yourself understandable by the recruiters. You must also avoid spelling mistakes and poorly worded sentences. Those mistakes are just as bad as syntax errors which are quite frequent in cover letters unfortunately. Based on recruiters experience, there are plenty of candidates who write their cover letters in the rush and don’t take the time to read it a few times. Also, lots of recruiters have some issues with “a texting generation” that have yet to find an everyday editorial habit that doesn’t contribute in making recruiters take them seriously. Thus, we would recommend you to have other people with more sense read it for you before you submit your application.

3. Do not force a connection between the future of a company and your own.

Let us remind you that a cover letter must have three parts: the candidate must show that he knows the company and is informed of the challenges that come with the job. He must show that he has the skills the company is looking for and must insist on the fact that he represents the perfect match between his professional skills and the vacancy. Finally, he must show that his personal ambition correspond with the interest of the company and explain how, give proof that hiring you would benefit the company. This is even more true knowing that the recruiter needs to be persuaded that the candidate will be present in the future he has planned with the company. In brief any candidate who wants to submit a good cover letter must follow three steps. Be well informed about the company, show how your skills match with the job vacancy, make a connection between your professional career and that of the company.

4. Not knowing how to present your arguments

The first goal of a cover letter is to answer one question: why do you want this job? At the end, the answer to that question must allow you to convince the recruiter with actual facts. However, it is sad to notice that lots of candidates find it difficult to present arguments and be convincing. But it is essential to show that we are better or at least more suitable than others by showing out in the letter, one’s performance from previous recorded experiences and how it matches with the job vacancy.

5. A lack of quick summary

You probably don’t know it but, a long cover letter does not work in your favor because it shows out how you are not capable of going straight to the point. Unfortunately some candidates believe that if they don’t write couple of pages, they won’t put all the chances on their sizes. Quite to the contrary, majority of recruiters select the profiles of people who knew how to be brief and specific. Basically, a one page cover letter is perfect. Two pages max. Cover letters are where concision and precision are essential.

Cover letters are subjects to numerous criticisms despite the fact that they usually come with the CV and are something that recruiters ask for. In a time where the HR profession is under serious changes, some don’t see them as being outdated but others find them redundant with no real value. However can we go without them if we want to get a job? It is not easy to find an answer considering the fact that recruiters have different opinions about them.

We have been told over and over that cover letters are now useless and outdated. Sounds like this statement is true because we have noticed a more rapid recruiting process with keywords that help spot the candidates and put the applications in different categories. This new reality makes it difficult to read documents that we find too long. One can to a lesser extend admit that the glorious days of cover letters are long gone now and with time they will disappear for good. This is basically what we grabbed from the recruiting specialist Dominique Perez « CV guide ,from the cover letter to the job interview ».

However, let’s not hurry to come to the conclusion that cover letters are about to die for good because we are far from having people stop using them. Thus, even though they are becoming shorter than what they used to be before or are now included in the email body, cover letters are still trendy. Even better, lots of recruiters, even those who don’t read CVs, all agree on the fact that not seeing cover letters is a bad thing for candidates. Therefore, it is preferable to express your motivation on you web CV if you answer the question « open to opportunities », even with few sentences on your page… or on top of your CV.

What do we do then, when we respond to a job anoucement that only ask for a CV( send your CV and expectations to…)? Again according to recruiting specialist Dominique Perez, if you are able to find the company that posted the job, you could still send them your CV with a couple of sentences that explain why you are applying for that specific position. Furthermore she added to not however say too much because after all it is your education and your experience that got them interested in you in the first place and not your plans. The recruiter probably wants to choose you for your skills first before knowing about your motivations.

Also, some candidates deliberately choose to only send their CV without a cover letter. There is two sides to that approach because it will be appreciated differently depending on the recruiters. It can be seen indeed on one side as a desire to be able to fulfil a career plan or a vocation to a certain extend. On the opposite side, it could also be seen as vanity, over self confidence or even close-mindedness. It is up to you to send your CV without a cover letter because it could be either negative or positive.

A CV without a cover letter can however be useful in recruiting forums, job fairs or in cases where you have a special recommandation. Either way, if you choose to do it, take it upon yourself to point out the the position you are applying for and give some indications on your career plan.

As a worker, it is difficult to admit a 100% that you have never experienced a slump at your workplace.
It is actually rather common to be drowsy and on your way of falling down from your chair despite all the efforts you have been making to try to stay focus at work. This state of sleepiness is nothing out of the ordinary. If you happen to experience that, there are some tips that keep you from having an afternoon slump, keep you awake and focus at the office. Find 7 tips under to help you fix your problem.

1. Make sure to have a good night sleep

One of the first things to do in order to keep you from having a slump at work is to make sure you have a good night sleep. Having a sufficient amount of sleep is crucial. For that reason, you need to make sure you go to sleep early so you can have a refreshing sleep. Make sure you sleep at least 6 hours a night with no help from the screen to make you sleep.

2. Have a hearty and balanced breakfast

A healthy and balanced breakfast is essential to keep you from having an afternoon slump. When you have been starving since early in the morning, you will use more energy. Help yourself with bread, fresh fruits, cereals, yogurt… you will feel better in the afternoon.

3. Eat a fruit or some dark chocolate

No need to be a specialist to know that sugar boost your brain and improve your theobromine, a substance that is also present in guarana. That is the reason why sugar is really a booster for our body. So in order to deal with the regular drowsiness, we can eat a fruit or some dark chocolate. Do not hesitate to take a coffee break to recharge your battery.

4. Avoiding drinking some alcohol on lunch break

Avoid drinking alcohol around noon even though you might feel tempted to have some, because it actually is depressing and could make you sleep. However you can eat fish. It is a good thing because fish is full with vitamines and minerals. It will help you fight against fatigue. You can also eat some chickpeas and lentils on lunchtime so you don’t sleep in the afternoon.

5. Move around

After some hours in the office, it is quite normal to have a slump. If you don’t want it to take over, take a 15 minutes break to go breathe some fresh air and walk around a little bit. Doing a set of workout could do you some good.

6. Take a nap

If everything that you have been doing don’t seem to work and you can’t stand on a chair then, stop everything and take a 20 minutes break at least. Don’t oversleep because if you do, you will feel worse after it. If you are working from home, lay down comfortably in your couch. If that is not the case then go to the nap room of your place of work.

7. What about some peppermint?

Peppermint is known for being good at stimulating the organism and providing the brain with oxygen that fight against consistant fatigue. When you are having a slump put few drops on your handle and on your temples and breath.

You have finally landed the job of your dreams? Now it is time to start your first day in your new job. This step is not always an easy one considering the fact that you are getting into a new world. But how do we actually have a successful first day of work at a new workplace? We will tell you everything right here…

1- Meet those you will be directly or indirectly interacting with…

When a new co-worker comes in, it is common for him to meet new acquaintances and be introduced to people he will be working with as a way of getting him integrated. If you want to have a successful first day of work use that opportunity to meet with people around you. They could help you understand the history of the company, the current situation of the company so you quickly fit in and have a better first day. Such an approach will help you know and understand easier your work environment (the organization chart, the intranet, the business report, press articles…) use the coffee breaks to interact with people about different topics in a less formal way and enlarge your circle of professionals. A smile will definitely help breaking the ice and create new work relationships.

2-Immerse yourself in the activities of the other services of the company

After you have had met with your colleagues and or co-workers, you must take the time to know about the activities of the different services of your new workplace. You must get closer to the services which you will be in direct contact with so you know more about their activities, their missions, ther goals and their way of operating. However, you must expand your circle outside of the services you will be in direct contact with and get to know services that are distant to your new work. This will help make your first day go easier and will give you a broad idea of the company. This initiative is very important knowing that one day you might have to work with services that are distant to your main activity.

3- try to quickly integrate the values of the company

There is no business, no organization not company that does not have its own values. In the world of work it is commonly known as corporate culture. It refers to the identity of the company, an identity that for the sake of a good integration you are going to embrace fully or partly. Quickly integrating the values of the company helps you easily find your place in the company on one side and also build up your proud feeling of belonging. If you have that feeling of completely fitting in and integrating the values of the company, then it will transpire in your work which will be of better quality and wil meet with the expectations of your new employer.

4-Know the validation circuit of your actions

You can’t successfully complete your assigned projects if you are not able to know the validation circuit of your new workplace. Obviously you will need to find out who is part of the building of the project? How does he organise his decision making process? Who has the last word on the final decision? Who will be impacted? What services need to be informed?
If you don’t have the answer to those questions, there are little chances for your project to be accepted because the good planning of an activity depends on the people you will present it to and their promptness. Taking those elements into consideration will allow you to have a better integration in your new job and will help you get the trust of your colleagues or coworkers. Therefore, you will be able to take actions that would be more efficient.

5- Be curious, ask questions…

Asking questions does not mean that you have no skills. Quite to the contrary, you can’t know about anything especially knowing that you have just started this new job in a job company. To be quickly up and running you must not hesitate to ask for help and ask questions. Be someone who always ask questions. Don’t be satisfied with what you already know. Acquire as mush information as possible. Be curious… Your manager will see it as proof of your interest in evolving and integrating better.

You are peacefully surfing on the internet, when suddenly you come upon a job offer that perfectly match with you ambitions. Do not rush into it before taking the time to go through some investigations. It is even more necessary considering the fact that before the interview, after your cover letter has been sent, the people you will speak with must have already had an idea about who you are, your skills and what made you apply for that particular job. They should be under the impression that you know about the company and why not know about their line of business. For that to happen, you must do some investigation prior to sending your application.

When you apply for a job, you should know the line of business of the job you are applying for. That includes knowing about the recent or upcoming changes, about the company’s strategy and recent results, the corporate identity.you should be able to know if it’s a family business or a multinational. For example if you apply for a job in a telecommunications, you should be able to hold a conversation about the telecoms market, its development and current situation, the challenges that come with the sector and how is the company you have your eyes on handling its self in that specific market.

Knowing about those different informations is not something complicated, what we mean by that is that it is possible to do some investigation about the company on their website, it’s actually a gold mine of informations. You could probably find out information about the financial and economical situation of a company only by browsing their website. Indeed, if you visit a company’s recent job posting on their website, you might have an idea of their financial health and indirectly know if they will be able to hire you. In the “contact” section, you can have some information about the organization chart of the company,who to contact and in what department.

All the informations you have been able to collect form here and there will be very useful to you when you try to convince the person you will have in front you during the interview process, of your motivation. However, during the interview, you should avoid reciting the data you learned by heart like a robot just so you can show off. This method is counterproductive. During your interview, you should therefore use the collected information to have a reflection and a discussion with the person you will be speaking to in an intelligent manner, so they can find out more about you, your motivation and your interest in the company and in its line of business.

Before an interview, frequently visiting websites that draw a list of the actualities of the sector and of the content that companies publish, could only do you good. Either way, it will never be a lost for you to show your interest for the company and for the job that they are offering, in order to increase your chances of convincing the other person during an interview without acting as the smart guy.

When it comes to promotion, do you happen to feel left out despite all the efforts you make? It can definitely frustrate you or have an impact on your ego to some extent. And yet opportunities to rise through the ranks do present themselves. However, it is up to you to grab them should you know how to do it. In this article, we will tell you everything you need to know about how to maximize your chances of getting a promotion.

1. Be the first to come and the last to leave…

If there is one behavior that can really win the heart of your employer, it is being the first to come and the last to leave the workplace. For the company, that type of conduct is proof of commitment and investment. Managers give value to those efforts and appreciate them a lot. As an employee, you will gain more money when they pay you the additional hours. When there is an opportunity for promotion, your boss will remember you.

2. Develop your network relationships

When you are in a company, avoid closing in on yourself. Be opened in your work environment. It will help you develop your network of relationships and acquaintances. That network will show out your skills all over the company and get you a lot of support if a promotion was to happen.

3. Polish your acquaintances and your skills

Needless to say that the criterion that will determine the choice of the manager are in majority related to skills and abilities. In order to maximize your chances of getting a promotion in a company, you must never stop acquiring knowledge. It is obvious that your direct manager will notice all the efforts you would make in that department. Trainings, whether in targeted courses or leading to a diploma, are key elements to improve your career. There are online classes that have been quite popular these last years, that could help you deal with time related issues.

4. Understand the expectations of the manager

To increase your chances of getting a promotion in your place of work, it is crucial for you to try a little bit to know about the expectations of your manager or of your company. It will help you meet with their needs in a relevant way, consequently you will be noticed and that will set you aside from the others. To successfully do that, be curious and show interest in what is going on in the company, also, do not hesitate to initiate a meaningful conversation with your boss.

5. Be well informed of the duties and mission of the job position

Once you have spotted the job you wanted, now it is time to take the time to fully understand the requirements and the expectations of that specific job. You must also make sure you know about the obligations and the responsibilities of the position you are currently holding. Such an initiative will allow you to develop the required skills and hone them in order to reach your goal easily. If there had to be a promotion, it would be impossible for your boss to feel indifferent about that.

6.Enjoy working

If as a worker, you are unsatisfied or unhappy, you must certainly be someone who always complains about everything. You will not feel like developing innovating ideas or offering productive projects. Therefore, it is very important to enjoy working in the company and to handle all the work assigned to your position in order to successfully accomplish your career plans. You boss will be very happy to witness your entrepreneurship initiatives. To conclude, in order to succeed in getting a promotion and seriously move on on your career plan, you need to take certain steps and initiatives with satisfying and conclusive results that would be good enough to convince your employer.

Nowadays in Africa, many companies, issues with recruitment have become an undeniable reality.
That is, at least what the indicator Bpifrance has suggested. According to Bpifrance, 83% of SME and middle market companies are suffering from recruitment related issues. Even worse, 72% of them have experienced a constraint on their development because of that situation. Consequently, some jobs within the human resources profession are increasingly sought for. But which ones? Find some answers in the following…

Recruiting manager

Despite an ideal existing job market that makes it easier for candidates with good profiles to find a job, it still remains difficult for companies to find the good profiles that are necessary to the efficient running of their company. The reason behind this situation is the fact that the level of expectation companies have is very high and there are not that many available good candidates. It is therefore necessary to look over tons of resumés in order to find the perfect ones. This is why recruiting managers have a strategic role to play in facing the challenging that come with finding the talents. Moreover with the digitalization of certain professions, the employee’s skills will evolve, and the recruiting manager will have to take new criterion in consideration like soft skills, to select candidates.

Payroll administrator

Unlike others professions, payroll administrator has not been affected by the 2009 crise. This type of profile is getting more and more rare in the market in the sense that it does not appeal to candidates. Payroll administrators have set their sights on HR development professions even more. Even better, former accountants who used to be attracted by that career are getting rare now. Despite what people think of this job, payroll administrators must possess good people skills.

Social work lawyer

A social work lawyer is someone who is crucial to the company. He supports the HRD in all staff meeting bodies and social partners related matters. This specialist is in a way a guardian in labour laws in an individual or collective scale. He is the direct contact of union representatives. In addition to his legal expertise he can also act as the human resource. This is the reason why he is rated 3 at the highest salary jobs for people with five years experience. According to PageGroup 2020 study on salary compensation, at least. If he possesses a degree in social rights, he is more likely to have a gross salary ranging between 65 000 and 75 000 euros a year.

HR assistant

This new trend that makes HR assistant profiles very popular is a golden pot for young human resources graduates because this profession is a real springboard for all young professionals willing to have a career in that department. He would be happy to be considered as one of the most wanted profiles in 2020. « The more the companies hire people the more they have to prepare work contracts, plan training registration… In order to reduce the work loads within the administration, companies do not hesitate to hire HR assistants that are multipurposes employees on study training programs » says the Page Personnel HR expert. It is true that the level of responsibility is not very high but the variety of tasks performed related to it, offers plenty of experiences for juniors who want to have more training.