Work Experience at Quorum – Recruitment Interview

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I have recently begun work experience in the Marketing Department of Quorum as I am in the process of applying for university and thinking about what I’d like to do for my career.

I had no real idea of what office jobs (or any jobs at all that aren’t in a cafe) were like. Marketing have to work with many different people from throughout the organisation and so Pam and Darren that I am working with suggested that it would be a good idea to speak to some people throughout the company, in order to get a feel for it.

The first person it made sense to speak to was recruitment as they work so closely with marketing, and it’s useful for me to know what recruiters look for in good candidates and so I set up an interview with Quorum’s Recruitment and Resourcing Manager, Jackie Begbie.

Question 1 – What do you look for in a candidate?

When I asked Jackie this question, it was mainly out of curiosity for myself – many people of my generation know that they need experience for future jobs but are unsure of what sorts. Jackie proceeded to explain what she looks for in a candidate:

Jackie said one of the first things she looks for is experience related to the job or learning such as Apprenticeships, she wants to see an interest in and commitment to the career the candidate is hoping to enter. However, she also noted that any kind of experience that showcases the candidates commitment and ability to work in a team is also extremely valuable when applying for jobs.

Own learning is something that she deems important – this shows a candidate’s passion for the subject by taking initiative and learning skills on their own time. Many online sources such as Udemy or Open University allow candidates to further their skills – but anything that shows a willingness to learn is an advantage. This one is especially specific to Quorum – it’s impossible to know all the answers, especially with technology changing and adapting constantly. A want to constantly further your learning and being able to admit when you’re unsure of something are skills that are highly valued at Quorum.

Jackie also heavily emphasised that school results can be crucial to some companies with certain entry requirements, but to many, including Quorum, it is not the ‘be all and end all’. With circumstances such as Covid, it must be kept in mind that these past few years were difficult for many people, especially those who were at school and university during this time.

“Many candidates may struggle in a school environment but thrive in an environment such as Quorum – people’s brains work differently. It’s more important to truly understand a candidates skills and abilities, rather than the score on a sheet of paper.”

Finally, Jackie said that the biggest thing she looks for in a candidate is personality. How well you will fit into the Quorum team and get along with everyone is crucial to her, and something she takes seriously. This is something that I can see straight away after talking to a couple of employees at Quorum – all were friendly and approachable. Despite many of the employees I spoke to being intimidatingly intelligent and talented people, you can tell no one takes themselves too seriously and they all get along very well.

Question 2 – What advice would you give to young people who want to be employed by more corporate companies?

As Jackie mentioned before, different companies have different recruitment techniques. This intrigued me, and I asked Jackie to explain more about the differences.

Jackie reiterated her point on school results. Some industries are more traditional and tend to have more rigid requirements, such as university degrees. IT can be more flexible and ‘quirky’ in their approach. She further stated that they aim to highlight the culture and values side of Quorum and that they like to look more at you as a rounded person and your potential.

“I’m not looking for you to be perfect – you don’t have to tick every box”

This relaxed me a lot, as I think my generation has it drilled into them a little that you will not succeed in getting a job without perfection – perfect grades, perfect record, perfect degree, all equal perfect job.

Jackie’s advice for young people looking for employment was to research the area or business they want to go into thoroughly and learn as much as they can about it and where they might fit. She explained that there are so many internal departments in businesses that you don’t realise exist, “marry up your passions”! For example, if you like the idea of marketing, and you love animals, you could do media and marketing for Edinburgh Zoo – there are so many jobs out there that there is a perfect one for everyone, so always do your research.

Question 3 – What do you do on the day-to-day?

I was curious about what kinds of things Jackie did during her job, as the recruitment career was not something that I was well versed in.

Here’s a list of some of the tasks Jackie mentioned:

Writing Job Specifications – this is the list of recommended qualities for a person to qualify for and succeed in a position. While the job description includes the title position, responsibilities, and summary, the specification identifies the skills, traits, education, and experience a candidate might need to qualify for that job

Shortlisting – the process of reviewing job applications and selecting the candidates that are best suited for the position

Arranging Interviews

Identifying candidates

Networking to identify new candidates or industry trends

Working with the operations team, making sure new candidates have everything they need, such as the right technology (such as laptops or phones), and are settling in okay

Working with the marketing department to promote the company, making LinkedIn and other posts when Quorum is looking to hire new employees

Jackie’s job seemed very interesting and had much more variety to it than I expected, and it was fascinating hearing about what she gets up to daily.

Question 4 – How Do You Promote Quorum to young people?

Jackie explained that she visits many schools and career fairs – something interesting to me (and I’m sure many others of my age) as I had just been to one of these with the school about a month ago.

Jackie uses these events to promote the company and for trying to entice people into working for Quorum. She explained that these events are a really great way to network and tell people about Quorum who may never have heard of it and might be interested in working there.

In conclusion, getting an inside look into Jackie’s job was very intriguing and very valuable. It helped me feel more relaxed knowing that seeking employment is not as scary of a task as I had originally thought – it was more about companies simply trying to find someone who is the right fit for the role they need, as opposed to the perfect candidate. Passion, personality, and a willingness to learn were all much more important to Jackie and are all things I hope to apply to my career in the future.