This video is a review of the Real Estate labor market on Cre-News, on the Real Estate Channel Cre-TV, by Staffwell Senior Director, Jamilya Bocharova.  Discussed, in Russian, are how the overall situation on the market changed, how employer requirements including salaries have changed, what qualities employers are looking for in candidates and who are the highest paid professionals in the sector.

On any given month in 2009, Staffwell and any other top recruitment firm who survived had decreases in revenues anywhere from 25% to 80%.  If companies like ours were forward thinking in 2008, and cut their expenses by half, they potentially broke even in 2009 without additional investment.

A Different Market
Recruitment budgets at companies in Russia were severely cut in 2009.  Many of Staffwell’s vacancies were from clients replacing a currently employed underperformer or where their internal recruitment team was unable to close the vacancy themselves within a three month time period.

Our job recruiting was made much more difficult due to many clients advertising their vacancies for 3-4 months prior to us working on them, leaving a very limited available candidate pool to target and screen from.   Companies were also presenting us with long-lists of candidates they had already screened.  One global manufacturer supplied us with a list of 120 people they had considered and a global insurance group supplied us with a list of 50 people after a yearlong search.  Staffwell then successfully placed the candidates with these companies.

The vacancies themselves this year were very specific and specialized in the mid to senior level range, which is Staffwell’s specialization area.  There were very few lower levels or administrative vacancies being offered to recruiting firms from companies, as their internal recruiters were placing those themselves.

Staffwell also had a few clients first try other recruiting firms offering fees much lower than ours, and then returned back to us when they were unable to make the placement for them.  One client, a private equity group, tried recruiting through a small agency offering 10% recruitment fees.  They returned to our services in 3 months saying that our level of expertise and knowledge was much higher.  We then made the placement for them.

Search requirements from companies were also much stricter in 2009.  Companies preferred employed candidates.  Many placed candidates were not offered salary increases, even if they were currently employed and the motivation to change jobs was mostly working in a new environment and having new career challenges, not money.

Staffwell’s recruitment work became more complicated and time consuming due to the overwhelming amount of necessary additional pre-search market analysis required for narrow specialized searches that were already made extremely narrow from previous attempts made by internal recruitment departments, unsuccessful low-fee agencies, and other top firm competitors also given the same vacancies to work on, however, where it was the Staffwell team who succeeded in making the placements.

Most international companies had strict cost cutting policies globally that affected their Russian operations.  In several cases there were even offers extended to candidates that were then cancelled, which affected everyone:  the office wanting to hire the candidate, the candidate desiring to join the company, and our team who worked hard making the match.

Many potential candidates, in the end, chose not to leave their current employers, fearing instability.  However, most top management and professionals were highly interested in speaking about potential opportunities and making recruitment contacts for the future.

Staffwell surviving 2009 took taking smart cost-cutting measures in 2008 and then retaining, supporting, developing and leading our best performers.  Our clients stayed with us due to our results, reliability, expertise, creativity, hard work and brand.

Staffwell’s 2009 Top 10  Clients by industry sector:

1.    Banking & Investment
2.    Legal
3.    Real Estate & Construction
4.    Insurance
5.    Education
6.    Fast Moving Consumer Goods (FMCG)
7.    Pharmaceuticals
8.    Oil & Gas
9.    Leasing
10.    Industrial

Staffwell’s 2009 Top 10  Placed candidates by occupation area:

1.    Finance & Accounting
2.    Legal
3.    Banking
4.    Sales
5.    Marketing
6.    Insurance
7.    Engineering
8.    Pharmaceuticals
9.    Human Resources
10.    Logistics

Staffwell’s 2009 Top 10  Most placed ‘vacancies by fees’ by industry sector:

1.    Banking & Investment
2.    Legal
3.    Real Estate
4.    Pharmaceuticals
5.    FMCG
6.    Oil & Gas
7.    Leasing
8.    Industrial
9.    Big 4/Consulting
10.    Insurance

Staffwell 2009 News Highlights

•    Staffwell moved to a new, larger  ‘state of the art’ office in Moscow
•    Staffwell’s St. Petersburg office started the Company’s new payroll service
•    Staffwell Owner & CEO establishes equity & profit sharing pool for employees
•    Staffwell offers employees with children/grandchildren ‘family days’ as additional benefit

Staffwell 2010 and News Highlights

2009 was a challenging year but also one that Staffwell did very well in, and given the market conditions our platform could not have been stronger going into 2010. We forecasted quarter 1 of 2010 to pick up and improve over 2009 results, with then Q2 showing even stronger growth.   This has already proven to be accurate as from April 1st Staffwell’s active vacancies brought in have more than doubled, and we see this upward trend continuing.

•    Staffwell hires Director Tatiana Ivanova from Pynes Group.  Tatiana is focused on further developing our FMCG and Retail divisions
•    Staffwell hires Director Maxim Kaurov from Kelly Services.  Maxim is focused on further developing our Oil & Gas and Industrial divisions.
•    Staffwell CEO Teri Lindeberg gives birth to 3rd son (Savva Frederic Timurovich Lagutin)
•    Staffwell’s new website to launch in Q2
•    STAFFWELL TURNS 10 in 2010!  Celebration planning in process now

A big sincere Thank You to all of our clients who trust us with their recruitment needs, and to all of our placed candidates who trusted us with our career recommendations.  We wish you all the best in 2010.

We would enjoy your comments or thoughts on this report either in the comments section of this blog post and/or via email at TLindeberg@staffwell.com.

Kindest regards always,

Teri Lindeberg
CEO Staffwell

There were approximately 800 people in attendance the night of the lecture, with the majority mature business people, most with grey hair.  There was a big stage and screen announcing in big lights; ‘John Maxwell on Leadership’.

After introductions to the host charity and those sponsoring it and the lecture that evening, Maxwell took the stage and introduced himself, his age (mid 60s), his marriage of 40 years, his kids and grandkids, and all the books he has sold over the years.

Maxwell then went on to tell several entertaining and endearing jokes about his kids and grandkids, and then touched briefly on what he felt were some keys to success:

•    relationships,

•    ability to equip and train others,

•    having the right attitude,

•    and the ability to lead others.

A quick example was then mentioned:  how one charity might be successful and others not, were only an issue of right and wrong leadership, according to Maxwell.  By touched on briefly I mean that those very words were mentioned, and nothing more.

More jokes about his life and family were then delivered along with mentions of his books, the book on offer in the lecture hall reception area, and other resources available for purchase via the Internet.

Finally, half way through, the ‘meat’ of his lecture started.  However, instead of leadership or a leadership related topic being discussed, Maxwell offered: ‘put your dreams to the test’ and went on to introduce that your success in achieving ‘the dream’ is determined by the valid reasons you have to do it.  One reason is an uphill battle but 5 reasons is a more valid dream.

In short the 5 reasons were:

•    Is my dream really my dream (or someone else’s –like my parents)?

•     Do I clearly see my dream?

•    Am I depending on things within my control to achieve my dream?

•    Am I willing to pay the price for my dream?

•    Am I moving closer to my dream?

Then more jokes and life stories were thrown in, as well as a break allowing you to buy his book and have him sign it.  A few more quick tips on success being achieved by keeping to a daily agenda of 5 things key to your own personal success, that decision making is overrated (as it takes a second to make) and that decision management is underrated (as we do it daily), etc. etc.

I would have loved to report here on some interesting ideas on leadership from John Maxwell’s lecture on leadership, but there were none.  Maxwell chose to speak to a mature and likely fairly business savvy audience on ‘how to chase your dreams’ a topic much more suited to a one-on-one with his kids or grandkids, or to an audience of young professionals.  He was a good well-versed speaker and teller of ‘life-lesson’ tales, stories and jokes, so maybe it is time for him to step away from modern leadership topics and move on to ‘the memoirs series’.

Am I disappointed I went/do I feel my time and money were wasted?  Yes and no.  No because going cured my curiosity and confirmed why I typically do not like attending such lectures, and his life stories and talent for public speaking were somewhat entertaining.  Yes because I learned nothing new from him, and that to me was simply a waste of my time.

As recruiters we hear people complain all day long about their companies and the people in their companies, which is usually why they are seeking new employment. We also hear companies complain daily about their staff and management, which is why we get recruitment assignments to replace them. Aggression in the workplace has always been a key factor in contributing to the disruption and downfall of teamwork and team spirit and can be seen as one of the main factors in company headcount turnover.

There are hundreds of reasons for aggression in the workplace, and every company experiences it, some even on a constant basis. The following are some of the more common situations and how they can be remedied:

When Team Members Do Not Get Along

A lot of times people are forced to work in pre-established teams, on projects together. Due to personality, intellectual, maturity, and creative levels, rank, social differences, envy and a host of other reasons, chances are high that not all people on the team are going to get along. The problem is when the aggression gets so out of hand that the project suffers and team members become stressed and de-motivated.

If the team members cannot work out the problems themselves quickly, then management should intervene. If management cannot help to remedy the situation between the aggressive team members, then he or she should pull those members out of the project and replace them with others. The project getting done successfully is most important, followed closely by the team enjoying working aggression-free on the project together.

When Colleagues Do Not Get Along

This happens often and for the same reasons mentioned above. When it gets to the point of aggressive behavior, management must step in and attempt to remedy the situation. This should be done by hearing both sides fairly and then trying to bring a compromise to the situation. It is so important to really try to understand everyone’s point of view as all people are very different from one another –it takes a good ‘people’ manager to be able to do this. If conflict resolution is not their strength, a top executive or line manager should consider reverting the task to a really good HR specialist. Should the aggression still persist, a decision should be made to either separate the two colleagues into different divisions, or remove one or both from the company entirely.

Any aggressive behavior in an office, affects not only the targeted people, but also everyone else around witness to it. High productivity comes from a friendly hard-working office; take the aggressors out and that is what you will have again.

When Boss and Subordinate Do Not Get Along

This happens often and for lots of reasons: the boss finds the employee incompetent and/or the employee find the boss incompetent, or one finds the other to be aggressive or bullying, corrupt, rude, too demanding, discriminatory and/or other reasons.

If the boss is a line manager than it is worth attempting to get a higher management member involved to attempt to understand and remedy the situation, even if it is only simple communication issues. Good management should want to know what the issues in the office are, so that he or she can settle them immediately and fairly and get everyone back to focusing on work and productivity.

If the boss is high up in the company, at the top or in strong close relations with those at the top, an attempt should still be made to work through the issues at hand, if the subordinate really wants to work for the company. However, if that tactic does not work and top management is unapproachable, it is simply probably best for the subordinate to look for new employment at a different company.

In my role over the past 9 years as CEO of Staffwell, I have always tried to make clear to all employees, that they should always feel comfortable coming to talk to me about any problems they are having with other office members, no matter what their rank. This tactic has helped me keep some very good people in our company over the years, whom might have left otherwise, due to issues they had at one time or other with their direct report.

When the Work is Not Interesting or Satisfying

There is no doubt that employees can turn hostile, unproductive, bored and depressed, when their work is not satisfying to them. Unfortunately most employees have a fear of speaking up to management about their issues, so their resulting aggressive reactions tend to amplify over time, all to the detriment to the productivity of the company.

Initial and ongoing recruitment is highly important. First try to hire the ‘right’ people into the role, then stay on top of them to understand if they are continually productive in the role and remain the ‘right’ people for the role. Always have a plan in place to shift good workers to other roles if they require and deserve new challenges, and always be looking for others to fill the roles that have higher turnover.

Some employees will always have a tendency to be hostile, unproductive, bored or depressed, no matter what role they are in. These are the people you want to identify and rid the company of as soon as possible. There are always much better people to hire on the market, who will want to work hard in the role and for the company.

When People and Their Contributions are Neglected

Employees, including all levels of management, need feedback and attention. When people and their contributions, however good or bad, are neglected, they feel alone and undervalued and take on a dislike for their job, superiors, and the company. Top management down need to keep in touch with all employees on a somewhat regular basis.

Praise and, if possible, promotions should be given to those doing a superior job, and constructive criticism followed by encouragement for those needing to improve or be refocused. This should be an important part of the official job responsibilities of all management, and if practiced will help companies keep their desired better performers.

When People Do Not like the Company they Work For

Not everyone likes the company they work for. Maybe it’s the products or services they sell, the company values, the operations, and/or the direction the company is taking. If someone is declaring their dislike for their company, it is best to find out about it and approach them as soon as possible. Again, any aggressive behavior by a person or group affects everyone else around them negatively and slows productivity.

Find out what the dislikes are, work on fixing them if you find they should or could be fixed, and then determine whether the person or group’s attitudes could then improve along with their productivity and those effected around them.

After firm attempts to remedy the situation, let go of any people still causing disruptions to the productivity and spirit of the company. You are better off without them and there are always much better people available on the market (possibly internally and definitely externally) to replace them with.

When People are Treated Unfairly

Aggression is a somewhat natural resulting emotion when people are treated unfairly in the workplace, especially when it happens repeatedly. However, again, it negatively affects the productivity and spirit of that employee and usually everyone else around them.

Top management should ensure that their companies have clear policies that all levels of management should sign onto, which prohibit the unfair treatment of employees. This should cut down on aggression in the workplace, demand that management adhere to ethical conduct, improve the spirit and productivity of all employees, and gain more employee loyalty and respect for the company.

Perpetrators, who repeatedly treat other unfairly, thus causing the aggression in others, should be replaced by better candidates.

When People are Discriminated Against

Age, birthplace, societal rank, height, weight, success, religion, appearance, political affiliations, beliefs, hobbies, personality, are just a few of the things people in the workplace are discriminated against for. Employees and management who discriminate against others can be aggressive in their tactics, and people and management who are discriminated against, may defend themselves by acting out aggressively in the workplace, either verbally or physically.

Again, it is up to top management to create clear policies to prohibit discrimination in the workplace. They then need to be signed off on by all management and employees, and have serious consequences, including dismissal, for repeat offenders. When people know what the rules of the company are, they tend to follow them. It’s when there are no rules or policies in place that companies organically create an unruly, unfair and unethical environment, where the worst can come out in the people working there.

Personal Issues

When a person in the office starts acting aggressively without obvious reason, chances are highly possible that something in their personal life is causing their aggression at the office. Illness, ending relationship or relationship issues, money issues, victim of crime, or many other reasons, could cause unexplained aggression in the workplace from people. A lot of people internalize personal issues (keep them to themselves) but then externalize the stress from the issues, by acting out aggressively in the office toward others, many times without reason, and often without even realizing they are doing it.

In these cases, a direct report, HR Specialist, or more senior management member should get involved. A private meeting to sensitively discuss the complaints against the individual (without mentioning names) should be organized. Try to find out what the underlying issues are, and then if possible, offer any help or solutions to the person. The faster you can get the person, and those working around the person, back to 100% productivity for you, the better.

Then keep a close eye on the person to track that the aggression subsides appropriately. If it does not, issues warnings to the person that if they do not stop their aggressive behavior, they will risk losing their job.

Summary

Companies can be compared to Kindergartens at times, where natural born aggressors and those reacting to aggressors in aggressive ways, develop and carry out their sometimes destructive tactics. Good teachers create clear rules for the class to adhere to and punish any repeat offenders. Really bad kids are asked to leave the school permanently, because they disrupt everyone’s progress.

Good top management at companies, if they don’t already have it, should create similar rules, policies and procedures, which will reduce the amount of aggressive behavior from the ‘bigger kids’ in the workplace.

Any aggression, especially ongoing aggression, can negatively affect the productivity and positive spirit of a company. Always try to resolve the issues, by objectively trying to comprehend the point of view of everyone involved, and offering sensible solutions. However, if the aggression persists, it will be better for the company to recruit and replace the antagonist(s) involved, so that maximum productivity and positive company and team spirit can be restored.

Published in General Director № 12, 2009 journal

PR from America was claiming that things were getting better; Russia avoided a forecasted second mini-crisis in August or September, and companies started preparing for positive change and growth again, which meant budgets opening up a bit to hire in fresh new talented executives, management and staff.

Reasons for Recruitment Growth
Staffwell’s growth in the second half of 2009 is attributed to loyal long term clients replacing executives, management and staff who had left the company for other positions and/or who were dismissed due to average to below average performances, and to new department growth in these client companies and at newly developed Staffwell clients expanding onto the market, coming into the market with new investment, or needing to replace employees.

Top Performing Industry Sectors
Staffwell’s strongest industry sectors for 2009 (up to October 12) in terms of revenues from placements (from top down) were Banking & Investment, Real Estate & Construction, Pharma, FMCG, Legal, Leasing, Industrial, B2B, Retail, Energy, Finance, Insurance, Manufacturing, Leisure, HoReCa, Logistics, and Consulting. We are forecasting that by the end of the year, Banking & Investment and Legal will both be in our top 2.

Top Performing Occupational Areas
Staffwell’s strongest occupational areas for 2009 (up to October 12) in terms of revenues from placements (from top down) were from vacancies in finance & accounting, banking, sales, legal, project management, marketing, , HR, engineering, technical, insurance, general management, other, operations, logistics, PR, and administration.

Market Salaries
In comparing overall salaries from Staffwell’s 2008 and 2009 placements (over the same 9 months), for finance positions they increased 5%, banking positions increased 44%, legal decreased 30%, and sales decreased 39%. For other occupational areas, project management salaries increased, logistics stayed the same, and marketing, accounting, office management, engineering, technical, insurance, general management, operations, PR, HR, and administration all decreased.

It is very likely that some of these percentages will change by the end of this year due to an increase in our client recruitment activity and a more positive market outlook by many. Also for better reference, ‘our market’ consists largely of top rate Multinational and Russian companies recruiting ‘highly skilled’ executives, management and professionals.

Outplacement Results
We created our new Staffwell Outplacement services at the beginning of 2009 which was ideal timing as during the slowest two quarters of the year (for recruitment work) it gave our team something new to focus on and gave our clients something new to learn and meet about and consider.

From our corporate clients who put teams of their people through the service, and the many private individuals who put themselves through the service, it was definitely some of the most rewarding experiences we had this year. To see, hear, and feel the stress, anguish and fear of people who had lost their jobs, and in a market with very few quality job opportunities, was truly heartbreaking. We gave more than double what we promised in terms of our time and effort, to our clients going through these services and felt great seeing the confidence, strength and sense of purpose and new knowledge, they had all graduated with.

For me personally to hear from many of the client participants how it was ‘fantastic’ and ‘amazing’ and ‘so professional’ and ‘so useful and helpful’ and that ‘we have a truly top-rate highly professional team’, was just wonderful. We always help companies when we recruit great people for them and help individuals when we place them into new positions and companies, which is always extremely gratifying for us, but with outplacement, to really help people that are in true despair, and depressed and scared, is just extremely emotionally rewarding.

Reflections and Closing Thoughts
Oddly enough, this has been one of my favorite years at Staffwell. Even though revenues were way down, we did the right things, which feel great. We forecasted and planned correctly, we kept our best people, we focused on our core specialization (recruitment & executive search), and added a complimentary new service line (outplacement). We also received an official letter from a division of the Russian Government stating that we were one of the best taxpaying companies in Moscow!

I am so proud that the Staffwell team worked so hard to bring the company successfully through this challenging year. They were positive toward the market, focused in their work, caring and sensitive to those down and/or out of work, and extremely hardworking; some starting very early and others working consistently very late. Most importantly, the team together became stronger and tighter and the quality of our work and the service and attention to our clients was maintained at the highest level, which is always our biggest priority.

Great thanks go to our clients for entrusting us to find them great people to hire, to our candidates in the market for entrusting us in our job recommendations to them, and to the Staffwell team who work hard to keep us one of the best recruitment/search companies on the market.

Kindest regards,

Teri Lindeberg
Staffwell CEO

The 2009 Expat Explorer survey, commissioned by HSBC International, shows that a third of the expats working in Russia earn more than $250,000 per year.

That pushed the Russian expat experience into top place for earnings, with 30% of the expat respondents raking in more than a cool quarter million, ahead of Hong Kong (27%), Japan (26%), Switzerland (25%) and India (25%).

The survey considered 4 key criteria – an income in excess of US $200,000, monthly disposable income in excess of $3000, an increase in saving while living/working abroad, and having at least 2 luxury items in the country they live in – and also concluded that 97% of expats in Russia were able to save more than they were in their country of origin, putting it into second position behind Qatar (98%).

People tend to make up their mind about someone in the very first minutes of a meeting, before a single word is spoken. And once that impression is made, it is almost impossible to change. A huge component of this is body language – a person’s posture and gestures. So when you meet someone for the first time, particularly someone whose good opinion is important for your career, it is vital you understand what your body language says about you.

There is nothing more expressive than the human form, not just the face, but also the arms, legs, spine: the entire visual package. Whether you like it or not, your body language – how you hold and move your body – is constantly communicating facts about you with others

Of course, your clothing, grooming, way of speaking, and even your cologne contribute to the first impression you give; if you are well-groomed and well-dressed, you have a better chance of being taken seriously. But even the most beautiful suit and haircut in the world cannot hide bad body language.

Body language is critical not only in first meetings and interviews, but in every professional encounter you have. So you must be conscious and take control of your body language at all times. Knowing what hits home and what fails with your audience will take you far down the road to success.

Body language and social hierarchy – gestures speak louder than words

The fact we make up our minds so quickly about others, and communicate so much without speaking, has a lot to do with our primate history: our primitive ancestors spoke without words. We continue to speak without words to this day; our body sends messages that bypass the rational minds of those with whom we meet, speaking directly to their primal inner selves.

Because of our natures every encounter is a kind of competition. To survive and thrive in the modern world we must understand social hierarchy and respect it through our body language. As you meet with others, respect the animal within them – it judges quickly and irrevocably on non-verbal cues, making up its mind in a flash.

Some big body language no-nos

Nervous limbs

Just as you must control your spine, you must control the limbs that come off of it. Huge interviewing no-nos are toe-tapping, wiggling, vibrating, fidgeting, humming, flapping, itching, turning your feet under or over, inverting your elbows – you get the picture. Before you begin the interview or meeting, even if you are already in the room with your interviewer, take the time to breathe calmly and get yourself under control. Within reason, it is acceptable to show the interviewer you are nervous; it makes you human. Just get it under control and move forward.

Dancing Hands

Hands are very expressive; actors on stage are always aware of where their hands are at all times, how their hands appear, because they understand how powerful hand gestures are. You must be aware as well.

In advance of your meeting choose ways to rest your hands by looking in the mirror and seeing what looks best: choose something poised yet relaxed. Practice the hand positions until they are automatic.

When standing, let your arms and hands hang relaxed but actively at your sides, not limp like noodles. You really don’t have to put your hands anywhere if you don’t want to. Avoid jamming hands in your pockets or propping them up on your hips. Pockets can look sloppy if you’re not careful, while both hands on hips can look too aggressive. Sometimes an asymmetrical look works well, one hand on the hip and the other hanging relaxed. It can help to have something in your hands to begin with, perhaps a portfolio with your documents inside. But remember, once you sit down, you must not fidget with what you brought.

When sitting, learn to rest your hands gently on the table, perhaps with fingers intertwined, or rest one in your lap and the other on the table. Practice what looks right until it feels correct. It’s fine to have relaxed hands. It is also fine to show energy through your hands - gesturing, clasping, pointing, describing shapes - if your gestures relate directly to your words and are kept under control.

Fiddling with your hands: biting your nails, drumming, thrumming, tapping, watch-checking, twisting your fingers together, and general nervous behaviors are all interviewing no-nos. If you look like a jumping jack at the interview table, a fidgety bag of bones, your interviewer will think you have better things to do and will not invite you back.

How to sit

Avoid overly aggressive postures that take up a lot of space. Although you may be comfortable sitting with widely crossed legs and hands behind your neck with elbows sticking out, this is actually a very aggressive posture that takes control of the interviewer’s space. Remember the hierarchy of the interview; you need to immediately understand who is the boss and show respect for that person through your body language.

A moderately crossed leg is fine, for men and women, but men should avoid the wide crossed leg with the ankle on the knee. It’s just too familiar and open.

Of course, you also don’t want to appear too meek: hanging your head, slumped shoulders, general pitiful behavior, or speaking too quietly.

Just as sitting gestures can be too open, they can also be too closed. Avoid crossing your arms over your chest because it creates an emotional wall, a barrier between you and the other person. The worst closed posture of all is arms over the chest and legs in a tight double-cross with the toe hooked under the other leg. Avoid this posture at all times; it tells others you are not interested and closed off.

Eye contact

Skillful eye contact is critical to interviewing success. As in all things, it is a delicate balancing act. When you are the listener, you should give more sustained eye contact than when you are the speaker. It is good to look directly into the speaker’s eyes to show you are attentive and following the conversation. But don’t be too aggressive and stare him or her down. Show through your face and voice you are tracking the conversation and engaged. Really listen and resist letting your mind wander.

When speaking, you should not stare directly at the interviewer all the time; this is too aggressive. It’s fine to look away once in a while as you follow the train of your thoughts. Just check in with your listener every several seconds to make sure he or she feels included in your stream of conversation.

The old eye contact trick of looking at a spot between the person’s eyes while talking and listening doesn’t really work; people can tell you aren’t really looking at them. People won’t bite if you just look them in the eye; try it.

Hand shakes - the bone crusher verses the wet fish

A good handshake is important to an interview. We have all shaken hands with someone who tries to break our bones or drapes a limp hand into ours like a wet fish. Both are distasteful. The correct handshake is a good solid contact, web of the thumbs together, and then released. Take a good look in the person’s eyes as you are doing this: one deep look.

A tricky moment is when you try to keep eye contact while shaking hands; often two people miss each other’s hands and have to come back for another try. Humor is important in successful encounters, so if this happens to you, laugh it off and give a great handshake the second time around.

As for the perennially sweaty, cold, or wet-palmed person, try running your hands under cool water, washing them with soap, and then drying them right before your meeting to keep the sweaty palms under control. Shaking hands at the end of the meeting is a problem because wiping your hands off on the side of your jacket or pant leg right before you shake someone’s hand is a no-no. If others see you do this, they will anticipate an unpleasant handshake, and that’s not good.

So the only hope is to rest your hands on your knees through the interview to keep them dry. Try to think calm thoughts and shake hands with confidence, even if you fear they are damp.

Eating and drinking

You may have read about it: bosses or interviewers who eat or drink with potential employees or subordinates to judge them on how they behave. The guy who didn’t get the job because he salted all his food without tasting it, the boss judging him for not trying the food first, or the man who licked his butter knife or forgot to put a napkin on his lap, making the boss think he was an uncultured clod.

There is some truth in these stories. If you are offered water or coffee, feel free to take it, but you will be judged on how you behave with it, whether the interviewer means to or not. Don’t fiddle with the cup, slurp the coffee, put in seven sugar cubes, ask for more unless you really need it, lick the edge of the cup, or stir loudly; you get the idea. If alcohol is offered, decline it if you can, or, if the interviewer is drinking and seems to expect you to, take only one and no more.

Eating is a social encounter; you must be on your best behavior. If you are starving, don’t plan to go to the meal to fill up. Instead, eat something before the meeting so you won’t eat like a wild animal when you get there. Then you can concentrate on making a good impression.

Men and women

Whether you are male or female is of little importance in the professional world; what matters are your accomplishments and skills. Men and women need to be careful not to send the wrong body language messages when they are meeting with their superiors, in order to keep job expectations clear and show professional respect at all times.

If you are a man interviewed by a woman, you need to be very careful to be polite and respectful at all times. Never look directly or appraisingly at the woman’s legs or breasts. Women can tell when your eyes are moving away from their faces to other areas and it makes them angry. Avoid, at all costs, the appraising head-to-toe stare. Never comment on a woman’s looks or dress, or ask her personal questions. Do not be flirtatious. Meetings are businesslike occasions and you must conduct yourself accordingly.

Also never let your own body language relax too much – wide leg crossing or hands behind the head. It communicates that you feel the woman is not a threat in any way, takes away her personal space, and gives an impression of aggressiveness and lack of respect.

If you are a woman interviewed by a man, it is very important that you keep your body language neutral and your dress conservative at all times. You want to get hired or promoted on your professional attributes alone; make sure this is all you are putting on the table. Keep your verbal and non-verbal cues clear of sexual signals. Do not be flirtatious in any way, and make sure your body language says the same.

Resorting to little girl behavior to get your way is a cheap tactic and you should avoid it at all costs. Don’t try to loosen the guy up by acting cute: kicking off your shoes, putting your feet up on the chair, twirling your hair in your fingers, biting your lips, loosening your clothing, giggling, or doing anything that looks remotely little-girlish. Have respect for yourself and give the man the benefit of the doubt. If you have true skills and experience, you will be hired or promoted as your talents deserve. Don’t stoop to cheap behavior or you may get a rude surprise about what you have unknowingly offered as part of your employment contract.

Humanity and humor

In the end, a great meeting or interview comes about when two people connect with one another. So don’t be afraid to be funny or express nervousness, within reason. Find a way to connect with others, to find safe, common ground. When people feel they have communicated well, everyone walks away happy. That is the feeling you are searching for when you meet with another person.

Comments of Head of Legal, FMCG & B2B departments Allan Sullivan for Russia Today Channel

The 2009 Expat Explorer survey, commissioned by HSBC International, shows that a third of the expats working in Russia earn more than $250,000 per year. That pushed the Russian expat experience into top place for earnings, with 30% of the expat respondents raking in more than a cool quarter million, ahead of Hong Kong (27%), Japan (26%), Switzerland (25%) and India (25%). The survey considered 4 key criteria – an income in excess of US $200,000, monthly disposable income in excess of $3000, an increase in saving while living/working abroad, and having at least 2 luxury items in the country they live in – and also concluded that 97% of expats in Russia were able to save more than they were in their country of origin, putting it into second position behind Qatar (98%).

Less positively, putting them in 3rd position behind their counterparts working in the U.S. and Japan, 73% of expats working in Russia had been affected by the credit crunch, but they were resilient with 45% of expats in Russia being least likely to cut down on luxuries.

– Lester R. Bittel

By Julia Idlis

If Quentin Tarantino decided to make a movie about Russia, he would most likely choose to set it in the 1990s because I bet he would enjoy the atmosphere of chaos as the first private enterprises and huge corporations in Russia were born.

Back then, one could only dream of stability and making long-term plans. Former engineers were setting up joint ventures, scientific research assistants were becoming general managers, and many people were forced to build completely different careers and start over from scratch. Many didn’t have the faintest idea what they were going to do in a month, let alone in several years.

Today, with the labor market becoming relatively stable, people have more time and reasons to think hard about their professional future. Stability means less career mobility and less opportunity to change careers at will. It means everyone should take career planning seriously, and the sooner you start, the better.

Thinking through and planning the course of your career is a great factor of success for any job. If you have a clear idea of what you want to do for a living, and what you want to achieve in the coming five years, everything you undertake from this day forward will serve this goal. A person working “for the future” has a higher motivation to succeed in his or her current job than one who works “where they let me,” not knowing what the future might hold.

Having a clear career plan helps one feel the master of one’s life. By consciously building your career, you grow more confident because you understand that everything depends on you, not on the mercy of your employer. It is you who chooses the job, not the other way round.

Career planning helps eliminate the “luck” factor and avoid unnecessary, regretted steps you might take on your way to the top. If management fires the entire team you are leading, and offers you a well-paid but minor position instead, don’t be in a hurry to accept the offer. Your future employer may find it suspicious if you’ve been made a middle manager after having been a department head. And why repeat something you’ve already been through in your career anyway? Pluck up your courage and start a new job search; it’s always better to raise your career expectations, stick to your overarching career goals, and not take a step down.

The sooner you start planning your career, the easier your career path will be. The best way to start this process is to form a clear idea of your ideal future profession when choosing what university to attend. Although this may seem simplistic, in this country many people don’t choose universities for career considerations. Many enter a particular institute because their parents used to study there, the competition is not as intense as in other places, or half of their former classmates are entering the same institute.

Higher education, if chosen with care and consideration, can become an instrument for career growth. Apart from the general education, institutes offer a variety of specialized courses, teaching programs, and professional schools. So don’t limit your learning to the compulsory university courses. Your college years are the best time for gathering additional skills, which will be useful in your future career. Take up a language course, get training abroad, get a certificate from a leading company in your professional area. Finally, think about an MBA. All of this will give you a better start; by the time you leave university your resume will be much more impressive than those of your fellow graduates. Because you started your career planning early, you will be able to launch your career from a higher position.

But don’t take this to mean you must know what you are going to do from birth through death and every step in between; the person who thinks like this is robbing himself of the chance to live creatively. You must be flexible when life throws something surprising at you, and willing to jump if your life goals change. But the key is to always have life goals. People without them are rootless and unmotivated. Always keep your eye on the future.

And one final hint: ambitions are only good if you keep them under control. You won’t be successful if you treat every job as a temporary stage on your way to the president-of-the-company’s “big chair” you’ve long dreamed of. Enjoy every job you get, otherwise it’ll be hard for you to grow.

And when you are interviewing for a job, don’t mention to your would-be employer that your only wish is to get into the director’s chair, meaning you will use the position offered to you now as an intermediate stage in your career. You don’t really think these words will make your potential employer stand up and give you his or her seat, do you?

Before you start your search for a new job or career, you must prepare yourself for the process. Good preparation is essential not only to build your confidence but to assure that the new job or career that you are pursuing is right for you. The following are useful steps to take to guide you in the right direction. So get you paper and pen and follow every step in order; don’t skip any. Be patient with the process; it will pay off in the end!

Assess your goals

Start thinking about your ideal work environment. Answer the following questions.

• What occupations are you interested in considering?

• b. What industries would you prefer working in?

• c. What level of responsibility do you want in a new role?

• d. Do you prefer working alone or in a team environment?

• e. Do you have supervisory or management experience and do you desire a role that has this responsibility?

• f. How much business travel in a new role are you able to handle?

• g. What hours can and are you able to work?

• h. What compensation level do you desire/require?

• What benefits do you desire/require?

Check your answers

Before you jump into a new job search, it is always best to discuss your thoughts with others to get their insight and feedback to your ideas and goals.

• Talk to friends and family who know you well to get an outside opinion on your career desires.

• Speak to people who are currently working in the occupations and industries you are considering to make sure it is something that would suit you.

Reassess your goals

After discussing you initial new job search goals with others and researching your new career options, repeat step #1 and then proceed to step # 3 to prepare your resume(s).

Prepare your resume(s)

Now that you have a clearer idea of what new career options you are open to and on what terms, take the time to revise or create your resume so that it helps market you correctly for your new desired role(s).

• Does your work experience reflect your new career ambitions?

• Have you pointed out the strengths in your background that would be seen as beneficial to the new role you will be trying for?

• Have you written a summary of your experience and would the way you wrote your summary help you get the role of your choice?

• Have you written an objective and does it coordinate well with your past work experience and new job desires?

• Is your resume well formatted?

• Have you proofread your resume for grammar and spelling mistakes?

• Have you had someone else review your resume for any needed corrections that might have been overlooked

Prepare your cover letter

Now that you have decided on what career paths you want to pursue and have written or rewritten your resume, prepare a cover letter that details your ambitions and reasoning for wanting the job you are applying for.

• State why you are writing the cover letter (applying to a job advertisement, specific position, other).

• Explain why you feel you should be considered for the role you are applying for.

• Explain how your work experience and background are suitable for the role or why you feel you would be suited for the role.

• Close your letter by thanking the reader and explaining how you intend to follow up.

• Proofread and spell check your cover letter. Always make sure you send your cover letter to the correctly addressed person.

Practice interview techniques

Before you actually start your new job search it is wise to practice basic interview skills to increase your chances of getting your ideal job offers. Practice answering the following questions that you can expect to hear from an interviewer:

• Tell me about yourself. (personal background)

• Tell me about yourself. (work experience)

• What are your strengths? (personally and work related)

• What are your weaknesses? (personally and work related)

• What success have you had in your current and prior job roles?

• Why do you want to work for us?

• Why should we hire you?

• What are your career ambitions?

• What are you currently earning?

• Why did you leave each job you worked for?

• Do you have references and can we call on them?

• Do you have copies of your diplomas?

Start your job search!

Now that you have properly prepared for your new job search, you should feel more confidence going into the process. Good luck on finding your dream job or new career!