Candidate Services
Whether for a temporary or permanent position, the ERS objective is to find our Candidates' the most suitable opportunity available.
On registration and receipt of CV (send CV to cv@EbonyRecruitmentSolutions.co.uk), we will dedicate one of our consultants to finding the right position for you. Your consultant will spend time with you to understand your requirements and identify how your key strengths and experience can be presented and maximised.
Whereas recruitment agencies may rewrite CV's, we, as a consultancy, believe that potential employers prefer to see the Candidates' CV in full. Advice on CV writing and presentation, interviews skills and other related employment training will be offered as required and where appropriate we provide the employer with bespoke assessment information to demonstrate and support the Candidates' compatibility for the job.
Prior to interview we will offer guidance on interview techniques, and ensure that the Candidate is fully briefed on the job specification, company profile and interview location.
Assessment of Requirements
Ebony Recruitment Solutions will assess all potential candidates to ensure that their academic qualifications, work permits and visas and other statutory checks match their careers aspirations. We will also apply psychometric and personality profiling techniques to ensure the best match with their career choice, expectations and cultural fit in line with employers expectations. This process enables us to decide which of our services is most appropriate to achieve your employment needs.
Candidate Assessment
Having identified you as a suitable candidate who is actively on the market, we will conduct a stringent pre-screening process to match your skills and abilities to employer's requirements. This will involve taking a psychometric and personality test. We then present the findings for your reference and package it for potential employers at the pre-interview stage. To ensure your success we provide a wide range of further customised services such as interview skills practice, CV writing and mock assessment centre practice.
News and Information
The sad reality is that research has shown that ethnic minority graduates are more likely to be unemployed than their white counterparts. With Black and Racial Minorities set to account for more than half of the growth of the working age population over the next decade, the market place for graduates is changing and employers are waking up to the fact that they need to target and recruit graduate talent from a diverse range of ethnic and social backgrounds.
This section will help you to consider what to look out for when job hunting and give you practical sources of information for further help and advice.
Understanding the Law
The Race Relations Act 1976 makes it illegal to treat a person less favourably than others on racial grounds. These cover grounds of race, colour, nationality (including citizenship) and national or ethnic origin. The Act covers employment including recruitment, selection and advertising. If you feel that you have been discriminated against on racial grounds the amended Act (2000) gives you the right to take your complaint before an employment tribunal or county court. You need to act quickly as there are time limits to log a complaint.
Racial discrimination can be difficult to prove so you need to gather as much evidence as you can. The Commission for Racial Equality (CRE) or another advice centre such as the Citizens Advice Bureau (CAB) can provide help and advice on your complaint and what to do next. The CRE has an excellent website which gives details about your rights and information on making a complaint.
Targeting Employers
One way to ensure you are given a fair chance to promote your skills and abilities is to actively target companies who are telling you that they are interested in recruiting talented individuals regardless of their background or ethnicity. There are a number of ways in which you can find out about who these employers are. One of the first things is to see whether the company states that it is an equal opportunities employer. Do they have an equal opportunities policy or statement which they put in their graduate recruitment literature or on their website? Can you see any visible evidence that they recruit Black and Racial Minorities i.e. do they have any Black and Racial Minority members of staff?
There are many publications, websites and initiatives available for Black and Racial Minorities where you will find employers keen to target you. A list of useful resources is available lower down this page.
You will also find that some companies have diversity officers in place and this can be a good indicator as to the commitment the company places on diversity. There are organisations that target specific career areas where there is a low number of Black and Racial Minority staff in that profession. Examples of this are SEO London for investment banking and Capital Chances for investment banking, law and accountancy. Some companies have their own schemes to attract Black and Racial Minority students and graduates such as the Inland Revenue who have an eight week summer training programme. HSBC offers summer placements and the Audit Commission with the Windsor Fellowship are offering a two year traineeship for Black and Racial Minority graduates.
The key thing to remember is to take advantage of any opportunities that are available that will allow you to develop your skills and build a network with employers. You need to take advantage of these opportunities as early as possible.
Marketing Yourself Effectively
Research has shown that many Black and Racial Minority students are falling at the first hurdle by failing to successfully market themselves in applications despite having the same qualifications as their white counterparts.
It is much harder for employers to reject your application if you have clearly thought about the career and company you have selected and have met the specifications being asked for in a clear and concise, well written and convincingly argued way.
Most employers of graduates are looking for evidence of a range of people skills in addition to the possession of a degree.
Employers are looking for additional competencies such as, team working/leadership, planning and organisational skills, initiative/motivation, career focus and business awareness." It is really important that you market yourself effectively so that you can challenge any negative stereotypes that may exist.
You need to show in your application and at interview that you are enthusiastic and have a passion for the job you are applying for. Effective marketing is not easy and you should visit the Careers Service for further help and advice on how to put together a good CV/application and what to expect at interview and/or an assessment centre. You can sit a practice psychometric test or have a mock interview.
Top Tips
- You need to show that you are enthusiastic and have a passion for the job and company you are applying to.
- Ensure that you read between the lines and work out what core competencies the company is looking for and then relate your education and experience (work or hobbies/interests) to them.
- Think about targeting employers who are actively targeting you as an ethnic minority and take advantage of any initiatives that may be available.
- Research and prepare each application thoroughly to make sure you are showing yourself in the best light possible. Quality is always better that quantity.
- Try to develop the skills employers are seeking through gaining work experience and by getting involved in a variety of activities.
- Visit the Careers Service