We’ve been on a journey providing job seekers with advice and tips to help them successfully exit the job mart by landing the job of their dreams. If you are just joining, you can find the last three posts here, here and here.
Today, I am really excited to share my no reins interview with Ace Human Resources Expert Mrs Soluchi Ogugua. She very candidly explains what recruiters like herself are looking for. And how to be the best fit candidate recruiters want.
It’s an interesting but longish one today folks…so go get your cup of tea, bottle of soda or water and settle in. You will be glad you did.
Lizspire: Good afternoon Madam. It’s a privilege and honor to have you here with us. Let’s jump right in to this interview.
LizSpire is currently running a series for job seekers. We believe that there is a knowledge chasm between what employers expect and what job seekers believe is expected of them. We believe that this may be one of the main reasons why many job seekers aren’t hitting the mark and getting employed.
You are an HR practitioner of no mean repute, and we would like to pick your brains about this perceived dichotomy.
But first off, could you please introduce yourself; tell us a bit about yourself, your background and what role you fill right now.
Mrs Ogugua: Thank you Liz for the opportunity. I am a HR Business Partner with a strong passion and commitment to people and skills development. I have a Bachelor’s Degree in Economics and a Master’s Degree in Global Human Resource Management. I have garnered over 15 years of hands-on experience in leadership, coaching and mentoring, assisting individuals and organizations to achieve their development objectives.
My core competence is in talent planning and management, skills development and performance management.
I currently head TTMC (Training & Talent Management Center), a strategic team of business professionals focused on providing unique HR solutions with particular emphasis on non-technical skills training and talent management solutions.
Lizspire: Thank you! We are honored to have your wealth of experience on Lizpire this week.
First question! Why are there so many frustrated applicants out there? But we both know that there are jobs available; especially in the private sector.
Mrs Ogugua: Interesting question. It’s interesting to see so many job adverts on different job boards and in the newspapers and at the same time, still find that a large number of people are unemployed. There are several reasons for this.
- The jobs available are simple not enough to serve the millions of people in need…we are talking 18 million unemployed or underemployed according to National Bureau of Statistics!
- There is a huge gap between what employers want and what applicants are offering. The job vacancies specify the requirements for the job but very few make it to the shortlisting process. Many applicants attribute it, out of frustration perhaps, to ‘corruption’ or ‘nepotism’ because they feel that employers already know who they want for the role. Or perhaps there are vested interests and as a result, you have to ‘have long legs’ as we say in our parlance, in order to get a job. And the general conclusion is that most job adverts are merely to fulfill all righteousness.
But that is not necessarily the case! If you have ever gone through the pain of shortlisting for a job, you would understand that there are serious issues with regards to the quality of human capital available for hire. Poorly written CVs, Poorly written job applications, Lack of requisite skills for job, just to mention a few are some of the reasons why applicants do not make it past shortlisting.
For those that make it past the shortlisting process to the interview panel, the issues even become more glaring at this stage. Inability to articulate and communicate properly, inability to back up with evidence/proof that what is on the CV is actually real and not just copied, poor attitude to mention just a few.
Lizspire: I know that like me you have many sad stories of resumes sent to the reject bin and candidates mismanaging important interviews. Could you share your top three worst recruitment experiences?
Mrs Ogugua: Hahaha.
- I have come across a CV and job application letter that was written with abbreviations, as in Social Media abbreviations and slangs. I have also received CVs with funny email addresses like sexyblackmamba444@…(just as an example). Such CVs don’t make it through the first glance. It will interest candidates to know that it takes exactly 6 seconds for a recruiter to scrutinize a CV and decide if it’s worth their time.
- I have had candidates chewing gum at an interview, one wore jeans and T-shirt and argued that that’s how they dress in her former office. And this was not a Friday… it could have even been pardoned if it was but she argued she was in her right to dress the way she knew. Another candidate came late and came in without apologies. When asked why she was late, her response was ‘My dear, if you know how I was looking for directions eh…’. The interview didn’t last long because that was already a glimpse into an attitude of nonchalance and poor work ethic.
- Lastly and this is my ‘star example’. When asked what value she could bring to the company seeing that her experiences come from a totally different sector, her response was ‘I can do all things through Christ…’ You and I know that at that point, the interview was over.
Lizspire: Oh dear! So, do you think that our tertiary institutions have done our graduates a disservice?
Mrs Ogugua: I definitely think so. There are crucial skills that separate one candidate from the other. It is no longer about having a degree or getting a qualification or certification.
Non-technical skills, popularly known as Soft Skills, are in high demand and are harder to come by because these are not taught in schools or infused into the curriculum. There is a huge difference between knowing “How to Solve Mathematical Equations” and “Managing Multiple Projects within a Tight Timeline” or “Collaborating with Cross-Functional Groups”. Organizations are looking for these sets of skills that are crucial for competitive advantage in a highly competitive global business world. These set of skills are hard to succeed without and are so important in today’s workforce that experts feel they are too critical to be called ‘Soft Skills’. They are preferably referred to as ‘Non-Technical Skills’, “Management Skills’ or ‘Business Leadership Skills’.
So technically nothing prepares the graduate for the corporate world or work life. They are thrown into it and are expected to deliver on the job they were not prepared for in the first place.
Lizspire: How can we fix it, then? And whose job is it to fix it?
Mrs Ogugua: We have to fix it by equipping candidates with these skills! They have to be taught, they have to be imbibed and opportunities and platforms to harness and develop these skills have to be created. It’s meant to be the job of both the public and the private sector but with issues we have with regards to good governance, I dare say the onus lies more with the private sector. Because it is the private sector that suffers it most. People are your greatest competitive advantage and most important asset. Without the right people on your team, the vision and business objectives of the organization will not be achieved and that signals the end of a business.
So the HR professionals, those in the education sector and those that have a passion for developing human capital, have to collaborate to improve skills and develop capacity.
Lizspire: So, what really are recruiters and HR Managers like yourself looking for [both in the resume and at the interview]?
Mrs Ogugua: There are crucial ‘skills-sets’ are in high demand from early to mid-career professionals popularly known as ‘Employability/Job-Readiness Skills’. It is very common to hear CEOs complain that ‘there are no qualified people anywhere’ and it makes one wonder how that could be possible with the teeming population of graduates and unemployed persons everywhere. That’s because way beyond a paper qualification, certain competencies are key to achieving high performance in an organization.
The essence of what employers are looking for in candidates can be summarized as follows:
- Focused Work Ethic: Self-Management, Working Hard as well as Working Smart, Taking the Initiative, Going the Extra Mile, Adding and Bringing Value, Consistently Delivering Results etc.
- Strategic Thinking: Ability to see the whole rather than the parts, Being Proactive, Planning, Creative Thinking, Ability to Visualize Beyond Present ‘Desk’, etc.
- Problem-Solving Skills: Ability to Adjust & Adapt Quickly to Change, Critical Decision Making, Flexibility etc.
- Organizational Skills: Leveraging Team & Resources to Achieve Efficiency, Planning, Prioritizing, Time-Management Skills etc.
- Influence: Ability to Get Others to Get the Job Done, Motivating Others, Team Skills, Interpersonal Skills etc.
- Communication Skills: Excellence in Oral and Written Communication, Business Communication Skills, Presentation Skills etc.
Lizspire: Why do you have such strong opinions and obvious passion about this?
Mrs Ogugua: Because I honestly and genuinely believe that the better portion of the working population are actually talented and gifted but are unfortunately poorly trained. And also because I have seen the frustrations organizations go through in trying to get the right people to actually work and move the business forward. We can actually have a very thriving private sector if we get the skills development right! The working population constitutes the greater percentage of our entire population and imagine the huge possibilities of such numbers being skilled and equipped! The possibilities are endless!!
Lizspire: I want to put you on the spot now. What are you doing about these issues you have highlighted?
Mrs Ogugua: Fantastic question. We at TTMC are investing heavily in developing these skills and competencies through trainings and by providing opportunities where these skills could be further harnessed for greater productivity. We want to go as far as offering these skills acquisition and career coaching programs to final year students and not just fresh graduates or mid-career level employees. We are also partnering with organizations to create internship opportunities where experience can be garnered and skills sharpened. It is our commitment to train and develop and then provide a platform where the ‘opportunity seekers’ and the ‘platform providers’, as we firmly say at TTMC, can meet and match.
Lizspire: In your opinion, what are the TOP employability skills for the 21st Century knowledge worker?
Mrs Ogugua: Essentially the ones mentioned earlier but to add to that:
- Creative Thinking
- Communication Skills (oral and written)
- Report writing
- Presentation skills
- Grit
- Eagerness to learn (being teachable)
- Passion
- Leadership
- Integrity
- Customer Centricity
- Entrepreneurship
- Work Ethics
- Collaboration & Teamwork
Lizspire: How can job seekers learn these skills and where?
Mrs Ogugua: They are learnt through training and further sharpened through experience on the job. They should always be on the lookout for career clinics, workshops, seminars that address such. It’s pertinent to note that ‘Googling’ does not solve every problem. Some things have to be applied within the context of culture and peculiar environment. It is not acceptable to copy a cv format or interview tips from the internet and yet it has nothing to do with you or your skills. Get real and proper training.
Lizspire: I know you have an event coming up where all of these are addressed. Could you tell us more about this event and mention the details? What is the objective of the event, who will be there and what should attendees hope to leave with?
Mrs Ogugua: “HeadsUp” is our Employability Skills Training/Career Clinic, coming up on Saturday the 12th of May at No 8 Lake Chad Crescent Maitama. To register go to https://goo.gl/forms/na9nPQvE9BbwNfqq2
HeadsUp has been specifically crafted and designed to dramatically increase job seekers’ response rate/chances of getting a ‘call back’ and to enhance employability/job-readiness skills. It is a product developed to ‘upgrade one’s confidence’ and ‘boost chances’ of being a top candidate and advancing your career. And it doesn’t stop there!
At HeadsUp the beneficiaries are equipped with basic but essential job and behavioural competencies and knowledge, assured to distinguish you early as a ‘Top Talent’ in your career field. Heads Up has been designed to be extremely engaging, interactive and very practical with immediate, visible outcomes and results.
The program was designed from a place of learning, knowledge and understanding of what employers are looking for in their search for talent. In order to stand out and distinguish yourself from the pack, you need the power tools of originality, knowledge and a healthy dose of confidence!
BENEFICIARIES: This ‘product’ is designed for: Fresh Graduates, Youth Corpers, Entry-Level & Mid-Career Professionals, Undergraduates, Individuals/Professionals geared up for career boost and advancement.
BENEFITS: What participants stand to gain from Heads Up;
- Dramatically increase your response rate and chances of getting a ‘call back’
- Gain more confidence in your preparation for a job application and interview
- CV assessment and review by HR professionals and recruiters
- Learn to craft a professional resume without any work/job experience
- Identify your transferable skills that can match the job position
- Understand what recruiters/employers are looking for and learn how to put your best foot forward
- Understand different types of interviews and how to ‘ace’ them
- Essential communication skills for interviews
- Inspiration and confidence boost from young, successful career professionals and business mentors
- Get professional career counseling
- Get registered on our candidate database to connect with our network of employers.
Lizspire: Madam, this is outstanding. You certainly are putting your money and skills where your mouth is. (Readers, the flyer is in the body of this post. This is an event to attend…really!)
I’d like to say a big thank you for your time and for your commitment to improving the employability of our youth.
Any last words for our readers?
Mrs Ogugua: Though the task may seem daunting, keep at it! The frustration can be very real but only those with grit and determination and persistence can get to the top. It doesn’t matter how many thousands of people are vying for the same job. Upgrade yourself constantly and watch yourself stand out and become a ‘Top Talent’. Read. Learn. Do a lot of personal development. Go for events that will give you exposure and enlightenment. Stay positive. You will win!
For more career advice and counseling, follow us on our various Social Media Platforms: Twitter: @ttmconline : Instagram: @ttmcgroup : Facebook: TTMC Group: Email: careers@ttmcgroup.org
I hope you have enjoyed reading Soluchi Ogugua’s expert interview as much as I enjoyed interviewing her?
We have gotten an exposee on how a recruiters mind works; and I hope we will learn to comply with their expectations.
Next week we will explore another topic. Make sure you subscribe to Lizspire so you do not miss out on any key learning point for your personal and professional development.
Wishing you all the very best in your job search.
Lizspire
