Introduction:

Performance reviews are a positive thing; yes, they really are - let me explain.

Professor Maxwell Maltz wrote a world-famous book called Psycho-Cybernetics based on his work with patients undergoing surgery. Through his research, he identified human drivers we all possess around self-esteem and fulfilment.

His book went on to help millions of people improve their professional and personal lives, which are naturally linked to their success.

So, how can we consistently succeed in our Buildin Products role?

An action that has worked for so many people over the years is to use their performance review to collect useful feedback on what is working and what is not and how to excel in their role.

In this report, we will be covering several key areas, including.

• What is a performance review?
• How a performance review can improve your performance
• Six critical ways to prepare for your review
• How to manage the remote working and compensation conversation

Let's get started.

No matter where you started your career, the chances are you had the drive and ambition to get better. Why else would you be reading this?

You realised that would take work, and your performance would need to improve on every level.

One of the first focus points was collaborating with your manager to make sure you are hitting your objectives and have guidance on the next steps you will need to take to overachieve your goals.

Before we dive into the tactical side of performance reviews from your perspective as a Building Products professional, it is important to understand what a performance review is and why it is important. This will give you the foundation to use your review more effectively to drive your results.

What is a Performance Review?

A performance review is a two-way conversation between your direct manager and you about your:

• performance impact,
• results,
• development,
• and growth;

related to the objectives you were set as part of your onboarding and review process when you joined your organisation or each year at annual appraisal time.

Depending on the size of your company, it is a key component of their performance management strategy.

Traditionally, performance reviews have occurred once a year and have focused on evaluating past performance.

I am not a huge fan of the yearly performance review. My experience working with hundreds of Building Products candidates and their hiring managers over the years has convinced me that feedback, be that positive or developmental, should be ongoing.

However, I understand why companies rely on them and how they help employees grow within their roles and department.

The reality is performance conversations can help you improve your performance when both you and your manager engage in the process.

On a positive note, reviews are now changing, and as a Building Products professional, this is good news for you. Later in the report, we will share how you can use this to your advantage.

So, let's look at the benefits of engaging with the performance review process.

How Performance Reviews Can Improve Your Performance

Why are performance conversations important? Because they have a significant impact on your success and that of your company too.

Discussing performance isn't always easy. It is tough for managers to give feedback and even harder for you to receive it. I understand that.

However, a performance review with both parties engaged in the process can make an enormous difference for all concerned.

• It helps you identify your goals.
• Share what you need help with and any challenges you face; managers are good, though not mind readers!
• Opening opportunities to discuss feedback, both positive and developmental.
• Creates a conversation on how to get even 'better' at what you do.
• Knowing all the benefits a performance review can bring you as a respected Building Products professional in your organisation, how can you prepare?

How to Prepare for Your Performance Review

Before I give you some gems of wisdom here, I need to state the obvious. Not every Building Products line manager you work with will be perfect, especially when it comes to conducting a performance review.

However, it is important to address what some of you might be going through about your current manager, who could be displaying signs of the typical "less than perfect boss".

We have all experienced ineffectual and disorganised managers and others who bully, do not listen and play favourites in our careers.

Deep down, we all know people like this rarely change and, therefore, what our alternatives are; stay and put up with it or move on.

If practically staying is your best option, getting your performance review working for you is even more critical.

Alternatively, if you are considering a move, drop me a line and let's at least have a conversation. Remember, we are in a vacancy rich market now, and here at Blue Orca, we have multiple Building Products vacancies available that our clients want to fill.

Now that conversation is out of the way, let's get on to your review. The good news is management training has improved dramatically over the last few years, and most managers are better at what they do and are open to receiving feedback from their team on their performance too.

Something to consider as you prepare; your manager is a human being. Today, we all are part of a workplace where everyone is expected to 'achieve' more because of our available resources.

Your manager is likely to be spinning multiple plates, of which running performance reviews is just one thing on their to-do list; remember they have performance objectives to achieve from their manager in the same way you do.

Come to the review process with the thought that we are all doing our best to achieve the success we all want, and you might be surprised how your performance review proceeds.

Ok, let's start preparing.

Start With The End in Mind

Preparation and planning are the cornerstones of achieving an exceptional performance review.

The well-known leadership author Stephen Covey authored The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People; it is well worth spending £8 on grabbing a copy. One of the habits he shared through his research of effective people was to decide what you want to achieve first and work back from there.

Let me explain.

Let's say you are a Manager who wants to become a Director within your company. What will you need to demonstrate consistently over the next few months and longer to establish that you are the ideal person for the role?

Achieving your performance objectives will be your first starting point. Having worked with Building Products candidates for nearly 20years, I have never met one who was promoted who didn't tick all their performance objectives.

You may be reading this report from a different period of your own review process. The key thing to remember is to make sure you know what exceeding and achieving means when it comes to the objectives you have been set.

As an employee of your current company, you will have specific performance objectives to hit and values and behaviours to demonstrate.

Let's look at objectives first and a pro tip that many employees do not appreciate.

Let's say as a sales representative, one of your performance objectives is to make thirty product demos a month.

Knowing this, you now understand what you need to do. You know that you need to convert at least fifty per cent of the warm leads you are given to hit this number. In addition, any leads you can personally add into the mix is a bonus.

The challenge for many people is that they take their objectives at face value without thinking through a plan to achieve or exceed the objectives they are set.

If you aren't sure of the detail around how to achieve something, talk to your manager, especially if you are new to an organisation.

It's the same when it comes to values and behaviours your company want to see you demonstrate.

Our values and our behaviours drive our actions which drive our results.

For example, the following behaviours might be listed for a role in your company.

• Accountability
• Flexibility
• Curiosity and Openness
• Proactivity
• Respect for all
• A question for you?

In your company or organisation, do you know what accountability looks like? What about proactivity? As a task, make sure you have examples as a guide.

I recently talked to a Building Products professional candidate who wanted to leave her company as she was constantly talked over during team meetings, and her ideas were dismissed.

Her team members were not displaying curiosity and openness and certainly not respect for all.

What a shame for them as the woman I am referring to went on to easily secure a new role in a company who were delighted with the creativity and innovative ideas she brought to her role.

A classic example in this case of poor behaviour from individual team members creating poor results for the organisation.

The Devil is in The Data

You have put in the demanding work of planning and prioritising what you need to do to hit your objectives. The next key step is to document evidence of what you are doing and the results you are achieving.

We tend to get diligent about tracking our wins when it's time to ask for a pay rise. Unfortunately, not everyone takes a disciplined approach to writing down their accomplishments throughout the year.

Start a list, and jot down things that you do well and are achieving as they happen. Be specific: Did you successfully pitch to a prospect, deliver an important analysis three days before the deadline, offer a helping hand when a co-worker was swamped, or lead a new employee onboarding?

Please write it down now so that you don't have to scramble to find examples the night before your review.

Such a straightforward thing to do that many people forget. Many Building Products professionalCVs we see don't do justice to the individuals in question.

Contrary to popular belief, keeping your own brag/achievement file is a good thing.

Ask For Regular Catchups Ahead of Your Review

As I alluded to earlier, your manager is not with you every second of your working day. If you do not have regular catchups where you are open about how everything is going in your world, they will not have the detail at the level you do.

You may or may not have regular catchups/mini-reviews with your manager. If regular reviews are not commonplace in your company, be bold and ask for interim conversations. They don't need to be a formal affair, though they will demonstrate your commitment to the role to your manager.

The beauty of interim conversations like this means that you consistently review past performance so that tweaks can be made and results are achieved. There is nothing worse than turning up to a review and discussing something you didn't understand or were annoyed about that happened eight months earlier.

Be as Prepared as Your Manager

Depending on whether you have managed people yourself, a fact to be aware of is that your manager will appreciate the enthusiasm, honesty, and positivity you bring to the process.

Ask ahead of time for an agenda, the review time frames, and what will be discussed. If this is a more formal yearly review, you should expect time to prepare.

Your preparation ahead of time and the data you have collected can now be aligned to reviewing your objectives, behaviours, and future goals.

As a rule, your manager will take the lead and ask questions. If you have followed the suggestions I have made, you will be well prepared to answer in detail.

Here are a few examples of questions they might use.

• What results from last month/quarter/year are you most proud of?
• How did you achieve X, Y or Z?
• What disappointed you about your performance?
• What will you stop, start, and continue next month?
• Tell me more about what happened with A, B or C?
• What roadblocks are in your way?
• What impact has your performance had on the company?
• How can I support you as your manager?
• Many managers we work with as specialist recruiters in the Building Products sector will share their disappointment that team members don't answer the questions they have about their performance or avoid going into detail about their highlights, challenges and what has been happening for them in their role.

Don't let that be you.

Accept Feedback as a Gift

I know some people think there is irony in this phrase, yet the truth is how can we improve unless we are given both motivational and development feedback on how we perform, what we are doing well that we could do more of to get better?

Mastering the art of receiving feedback is one of the most important things you can do as a human being.

Receiving praise and recognition is fantastic, and hopefully, your review will have this as its main theme. However, as human beings, we live in a world where mistakes happen, and it is always a good idea to own yours and share them with your manager.

Ahead of your review, here is a suggestion to make your feedback session run well—document everything you want to share.

• What you are doing well and your standout achievements.
• Your challenges.
• What went wrong for which you were accountable.
• How could you improve in your role?
• Your development and training needs
• Ideas you have to improve your own and the companies results in the future

Ask Questions and Take Notes

Performance conversations should be two-way, so make sure you ask questions and take notes. When your manager makes suggestions on improvements you could make and what you are doing well, write them down.

When it comes to questions, I have listed a few that always work well below that will flow naturally throughout the conversation; if they don't, make sure you ask them at the end.

• What do you think were my highlights?
• What am I doing well, and where could I improve?
• What does the future hold for me here?
• What projects could I be involved with?
• What additional training do you think I need?
• Before we bring this report to a close, let us talk about opportunities for growth and development and the compensation and benefits conversation.

Assuming you want to develop: Is there an opportunity for growth in your current role or company? Unless you have asked the question, you do not truly know.

If the answer is 'no,' you may decide to develop your career by moving to another company. If you want to have a confidential conversation about this, then, of course, give one of our team a call here -> 01522 701707

Let's talk about compensation, benefits and work flexibility.

We are currently in a volatile hiring market, which is highlighting discrepancies in salaries and compensation in some Building Product organisations.

Alongside this, some companies have embraced flexible working and improved technology over the past few years, and some have not.

Here are a few questions to ask yourself honestly.

• Am I being underpaid for my current role, or could the changes in the market mean I could earn more?
• If I want to develop and grow, do I need to make a move?
• Realistically, I can deliver the objectives of my job working from home or in a hybrid role, so will my company be flexible?
• All good questions to ask, which takes us back to the start of the report; decide what you now want.

We are in a unique hiring market at the moment, and as a high performing Building Products professional, you have many options open to you, which starts with a conversation with your manager.

Once you have decided how you would like your career and compensation to work, ask your current manager what is possible. Being honest and transparent in this way works for all concerned.

As an experienced specialist recruiter in the sector, we ask all the candidates who come to us for career advice if they have discussed what they want with their current manager.

Your manager might be flexible, and they might not, though you won't know until you ask.

Next Steps to Take

Get in touch if you are considering the next steps in your career and are unsure what to do next.

We offer complimentary and confidential career conversations. Get in touch with us on 01522 424145 or contact us here.

Introduction

Applying for a new role, and going through the recruitment process can be a daunting task for even the most experienced professional.

Interview nerves affect most people, but they can make the recruitment process more stressful than it needs to be for you, the candidate.

Your next job might be the start of something amazing – so naturally, you will want to impress the hiring manager.

If you are preparing for an upcoming Building Envelope interview, we have created this guide to help you boost your confidence to help land you your next role.

Role Play Interview Practice

We all know that preparation is the key to success – and anyone who has ever had a job interview will have been told to practice their answers beforehand.

But very few candidates ever actually go to the lengths of practising a role-play style interview with someone, and yet doing this can help you significantly.

Practising your answers while you are alone, or even writing down specific answers or themes are great ways to prepare – but nothing beats a real-life run-through beforehand.

So get someone, a friend or a family member, to act as the interviewer and get them to ask role-specific or general interview questions – be prepared for both – and practice giving your answers.

You will not know until you rehearse in this way that you might want to add something into one of your answers, or that you need some extra practice when talking about a specific subject.

Boosting Your Confidence Before the Interview

Immediately before the interview is when candidates are at their most nervous.

So it is during this time that the most crucial confidence-boosting techniques are needed.

The following are great simple tips to help you in the hour up to the interview. Find somewhere private, either in your car or a private hallway to take a few minutes to practice the following:

• Picture yourself succeeding – visualisation techniques are shown to be effective at helping reduce nerves and focus the mind.
• Breathing techniques – take slow, deep breaths to help calm any nervous jitters you may be having.
• Say some positive affirmations to yourself – saying 'I will succeed', 'I deserve this job' and 'I am going to be successful in this interview' will help you foster a positive mindset, which can significantly improve your confidence.

Once you are in the interview, let's look at how some simple body language techniques can help you relax and be your most confident self.

Body Language During the Interview

The way you hold yourself will make you feel more confident so that you are able to give a better interview, plus it will also signal to the interviewer that you are relaxed and professional.

First impressions count, so smile when you say hello.

Try not to perch nervously on the edge of your seat – sit all the way back in your chair, with a straight back, not slouching.

When you give your answers, talk with your hands as this will allow you to communicate your ideas more effectively. But also be careful with the way you use your hands – don't gesticulate too wildly, and when you are listening rather than talking, try not to fidget or keep touching your hair or your face, which people tend to do when they are nervous.

Remember to carry on breathing deeply, and always say yes to a glass of water – you can take a sip to compose yourself before you give your answers, or if you need a moment to pause.

Make eye contact with the interviewer, but not too much. And finally – smile during the interview - you want to look like you are happy to be there!

Be a Great Listener

There will be time during the interview when the interviewer is asking the questions or explaining about the company. During these times, remember to employ excellent listening skills.

A Building Envelope interview is about listening as much as it is about talking.

Nod when the interviewer is speaking and always make sure they have finished before you give your answer.

The interviewer will be looking for someone they can guarantee will get on with the rest of the team – so an overconfident candidate who spends the entire interview singing their own praises can be a turn-off.

Remember that not every answer you give has to be perfect – but listen to what the interviewer is asking, and you can always ask them to repeat themselves or clarify if you aren't sure what they meant.

Interviewers are human, and they don't always give perfect interview questions.

Look to Connect, Not Impress

And finally, a great tip to boost your confidence is to not think about the interview as an interview – but a conversation.

Aim to connect with the interview, not to flat-out impress them with everything you say.

Building rapport with an interviewer is a great way to be a memorable candidate, and striking a meaningful conversation rather than stressing while trying to appear superhuman will allow you to naturally ease into the interview and will make the whole experience much more enjoyable.

Confidence is about being honest and transparent; it is obvious when someone is trying to be somebody they're not.

Finally

Are you preparing for an upcoming interview? Or maybe you're not quite there yet, and you're still looking for a new Building Envelope role.

If so, we can help.

We're specialist Building Envelope recruiters, and we can help you will all aspects of your new job search, from CV help to arranging interviews, and of course – helping you prepare for your all-important interview. 

To find out how Metis can help you in your new Building Envelope job search – get in touch with us on 01522 424145 or contact us here.

Image by katemangostar on Freepik

When it's time to interview the shortlist of candidates for your vacancy, you need all the help you can get to ensure you eventually make the 'right' hire.

Interviewing is a skill, and just because you are in a managerial position, that doesn't mean that interviewing comes naturally to you.

Likewise, just because you've been interviewing for years, this doesn't mean that your technique doesn't need honing.

Today, we share 6 clever tips for interviewers to help you make the best possible hire from your shortlist of Building Envelope applicants.

1. Review Your Company Mission and Vision

Companies with the strongest culture attract the best candidates; it's a fact.

Reviewing your company vision and mission might be a case of refreshing your memory of the values and attributes that your business aspires to, but it could also be a case of rewriting them entirely.

Since the pandemic and the shake-up to businesses that this caused, many companies are finding that their mission and vision has changed – is this true in your business?

For example, in some Building Envelope organisations, communication between employees in the form of weekly in-person meetings might have once been an essential part of their business strategy. But since the role of remote working, this is no longer the case.

Does your Building Envelope Organisation recognise and appreciate the need for flexibility to allow for remote working, which is more vital than ever?

The first thing to do before the interview process starts is to review your company vision and mission statement for our post-pandemic world.

2. Get Familiar with the Job description

In an ideal world, you will have written the job description yourself and inherently understand what you need from your new hire, but this is not always the case.

In larger companies, there can be several people involved in the recruitment process, so it is essential that everyone involved is aware of what you are looking for in your new Building Envelope role and that this is communicated to candidates at every stage.

Especially now in our ever-changing world, the position that you are hiring for might be an entirely new role for the company – do you know the exact skills and attributes that you are looking for?

3. Work to a Method

Interviewing candidates can be an emotionally-charged experience for both the employee and the employer.

Many interviewers by-pass red flags in the interview and go with their 'gut feeling' – but this is not the best way to hire the right talent for your Building Envelope business.

For every interview to have the best outcome, you must work to a method and stick to it. This means:

• Choose your questions carefully and don't deviate. You can ask extra questions that might crop up in your mind at the end of the planned questions – this gives all candidates a fair interview.
• Practice your note-taking – taking accurate notes is an essential quality for all interviewers to have.
• Use a scale to rate candidate answers – you can give a score out of 10, or use 'excellent' to 'poor' at the end of each answer to remind you when you are looking back over your notes.

4. Be Compassionate

Interviews can be daunting, and this is something that interviewers and hiring managers can become desensitised to, especially if they have a lot of experience conducting interviews.

Showing compassion and consideration instead of the stony managerial tone some interviewers adopt will benefit both the employee and yourself.

Candidates perform much better in interviews when they feel at ease, and so making sure they feel relaxed is a great way of seeing the real candidate and allowing their best self to shine through.

So, don't be continually testing the candidate or focusing on negativity and flaws to try and 'catch them out'. Keep it positive, even if you plan on asking the dreaded 'what's your greatest weakness?' question (we will look at interview questions in the next section).

Take your time, and allow the candidate to take theirs – allow enough time for a good conversation, don't aim to get them in and out in 20 minutes.

And finally – smile!

5. Get Your Questions Right

There are certain interview question stereotypes, which it is best to avoid if you want better interview outcomes.

There are standard questions that many interviewers ask, such as 'what will you bring to the role', 'tell us what you know about our company' and of course, 'what is your greatest weakness'.

But for an outstanding interview, there are some questions to introduce, which can give impressive results.

Try asking the candidate to explain a passion of theirs to you – it can be work-related or not. As this will allow them to demonstrate their communication skills and their passion – it brings them out of their shell and shows you how effective they are at communicating ideas to a layperson.

Additionally, aim to curate an interview environment which feels like a conversation rather than an interrogation – this will put candidates at ease and makes the interview experience more pleasant and productive for everyone involved.

6. Candidate Aftercare

Ensure that you treat each candidate, even unsuccessful ones, as you would treat a customer, even after the interview process is over.

This is a great way of looking after your talent pipeline – candidates who are suitable but unsuccessful on this occasion will be inclined to apply again if they come out of the experience with a positive view of your company.

Respond to candidates in a timely manner – this goes for successful and unsuccessful candidates both during and after the interview process.

Encourage unsuccessful candidates to apply again, and you can even keep in touch on LinkedIn, where you can share Building Envelope information and updates about your business.

As for the successful candidate – congratulations on your new hire; now it's time to get them onboarded successfully.

Finally

If you are looking to employ new talent into your Building Envelope organisation and you need help attracting the right talent – we can help.

For more information on how we can help you recruit the high-performing individuals you need, get in touch with us on 01522 424145 or email us here.

Where's your career going? Do you have a defined plan of where you want to be in one, five or even ten years' time? If not, you're not alone. We speak to lots of candidates who come to us when they realise that their career is drifting along without any true direction.

Focussing on work, family and other priorities they have taken their eye off the ball and find themselves going nowhere, stuck in a rut with the outcome being their career has stalled.

The first action to take to get out of the rut is to ask yourself a few probing questions. In today's post, we have shared our favourite three.

Where do you WANT your career to go?

Just saying that you want to progress or that you want to earn a better salary isn't good enough. You need to know in which direction you want to develop your career. As a specialist commercial recruiter, it's a question we ask people a lot because it underpins what we can do to help them.

One of the biggest decisions that people may take is whether to stay 'at the sharp end', or to climb the ladder to management or leadership position. For instance, to go the more strategic route and go for a management role that looks at things from a wider perspective and has less day-to-day interaction with the finer details of the business?

There's no right or wrong answer, but you do need to ask yourself this question and provide an answer. Once you've done this, the way is clear to plan on how to get there.

Can your current employer facilitate this?

Now that you've decided on the direction that you want your career to go in, it's time to decide whether your current employer can facilitate this.

There may be signs that they can, but you need to ask yourself these questions.

• If I am capable and performing well, why haven't they done it before?

• If you are in a stalled position, going nowhere so do you really think that they have marked you out as someone they want to develop?

We see this so often, good candidates with great skills going to waste and it's a reflection of the company's lack of training and development procedures rather than the candidate's skills.
Be bold, be proactive and look outside of your current employer and see the exciting destinations your career could take you.

What do you want from an employer?

Now that you've decided to look at opportunities elsewhere, you need to find an employer that can match your ambitions. However, it's not that simple. You need to find an employer that can facilitate your ambitions and one where you feel you can fit into their culture.

Two similar companies may have a very different 'feel' to you. For example, some companies can be big on developing team camaraderie and love nothing better than seeing employees celebrating a good week by having a few drinks after work on a Friday. Other companies may have a more restrained, corporate culture. There's no right or wrong; it's just a case of finding a company that you like the feel of. But how do you do that?

Don't go it alone

So why not place your career in the hands of a specialist recruiter? Your career is crucial to your overall quality of life, so why risk making poor career choices?

Here at Metis, we help hundreds of candidates every year take the next step in their career. We know the roofing and building envelope sector inside out and can help you find the right role at the right company.

Our connections are so good; we place many people in roles that haven't even been advertised, such is the trust some of the major construction employers place in us.

Call us today and let one of our specialist consultants drive your career onwards and upwards.

About Metis Recruitment

We are Metis, a recruitment company that loves to find you a fulfilling job or the right staff to compliment your organisation and propel your business forward. You can email us on info@metisrecruitment.co.uk or speak to one of our friendly staff on 01522 424145.