At TALENTi we try and remove as much of the mystery and confusion around recruitment and to be transparent & fair. Below you'll find a selection of the most common questions we are asked by candidates about the entire recruitment process. If you have any other questions then please drop us a line and we'll do our best to answer them for you.

You can contact us here or click on our live chat button here and one of our team will help you as best as they can. It'd be good to hear from you!

Some of your most Frequently Asked Questions

Q. Why should I use TALENTi?

The simple answer is why shouldn’t you use TALENTi? - If you've had a bad experience or recruitment hasn’t worked for you before for whatever reason then this is an opportunity to experience a fresh approach. We don’t proport to re-invent the wheel, we just merely offer a service based on integrity, honesty and knowledge with really strong communication along the way too. A real back-to-basics approach where the overall desire is to create long lasting, sustainable relationships that really make a difference and ultimately add value.

Q. I have been let down so many times by recruitment companies. What makes you different?

The 'We're different' mantra has been repeated many times by recruitment companies globally but are they truly different? We think not. Much of what they claim can only be tested by using them. But that would be the same for us too. We are proud that we have integrity, honesty, transparency and a friendly, approachable style ingrained into the company ethos. If we don't perform how we say we will, call us out on it. We want to get better at what we do and feedback from our clients and candidates is one way of us achieving that.

Q. What if I receive a counter-offer from my present employer?

The counter offer scenario is a whole section in itself. We are putting together a dedicated page to deal with counter offers and it will be live very shortly.

Q. You have posted a new job on your vacancy page but I don't really fit the brief. Shall I put my CV forward anyway?

No. If you are not suitable for the role but wish to be considered for other roles then please forward your CV on our CV upload page here. We ask that you read the briefs fully, including all our candidate requirements listed at the bottom of the job brief.

Q. What salary increase should I reasonably expect to receive in my next role?

If your primary motivation is to move roles for more money then we may well find it difficult to place you. It may well become apparent to the hiring company throughout the process that your motivation for moving is financial. In light of this, the majority of hiring companies may be reluctant to employ you as you are more likely to move to another company at the first opportunity of an increased salary. You would be better served emphasising the fact that you are looking for more seniority and/or responsibility in your next role which in turn would generally mean an increase in salary, but not always.

There are no set rules or guidelines as such for what you can expect to receive by moving companies. Everyone would like to get an increase in salary but there are many ways to achieve this and it may mean decreasing your basic salary in order to get an increased package overall. If we get to the offer stage with the hiring company, we will manage the entire process for you taking into account your requirements and aims and will present that to the hiring company.

Q. I'm thinking of changing industry sectors. Do employers look on this favourably?

However enticing it may be to change industry sectors, from past experience, we have found it difficult to place an individual with a hiring company outside of their industry sector. We're not saying it doesn't happen but hiring companies, especially in these austere times, are generally unwilling to take a risk on an individual without significant experience in their sector. Hiring companies need individuals with significant product knowledge, a network of contacts and an understanding of the sector. They require the individual to hit the ground running and to provide a return on their investment as soon as possible. This is not always possible with an individual from outside their industry sector.

Q. My CV isn't that impressive but I'm very good at what I do, will it count against me?

Hiring companies are always looking for great people and the best hiring companies don't just make a decision based on someone's CV. However, if you would like more assistance in preparing your CV then please get in touch with us. You could always chat right away in our live chat box below. If we're offline then send us a message and we'll get back to you.

Q. Do you charge candidates for your service?

No. We will never charge a candidate for our services. Our income is generated through fees we have agreed with the hiring company for placing a candidate with them. If you are ever asked to pay any money up front, or asked to provide any personal financial details, do not work with that company.

Q. Do you or the client cover expenses/travel costs for interviews?

There is no general rule regarding the refund of expenses for attending an interview. However, if the interview is to be held overseas then we feel there is no issue in asking what the hiring company's policy states as flight & hotel costs can be substantial. If the role is within the same country then ask us if we are aware if the hiring company will refund your expenses as we may have already discussed this with them. We have known scenarios where companies have seen the candidate claiming interview expenses as a negative and it could well affect their hiring decision. As always, we recommend you talk to us first and we will see what we can do. Don't mention it during the interview!

Q. Do you share my details with anyone?

We do not share your information with any other 3rd party unless agreed with you beforehand. When we submit your details to a hiring company we will always seek permission from you before doing so, so you are aware of which companies are viewing your CV. However, we are here to find you a role and occasionally we are approached by recruitment companies/ employment agencies with a role to fill on behalf of one of their clients and they are looking for a candidate with a specific skill-set to fill that role but are unable to source that candidate from their own candidate database or search. You may well be appropriate for that role and we will never stand in your way if there is a viable opportunity for you. If this scenario arises, we will speak to you first before forwarding your CV.

Q. Do you obtain references?

On occasion, the hiring company will seek references. We will always seek your approval before contacting any previous employers or referees you have provided us with.

Q. Will the CV you send to clients contain all my personal information?

You may have sent us your CV with personal information included. We remove all personal information apart from your full name and employment history when submitting a CV to a hiring company. We'll soon be launching a full CV writing tips section on our website so check back soon.

Q. Will I have a dedicated TALENTi consultant working with me?

We always aim for you to have one point of contact throughout the hiring process. However, on some projects, the consultant may use one of our internal resource team members in order to assist them in searching for a pool of candidates for submission to a client. This is usually just during the early stages of the process and if shortlisted and selected for interview you will most likely just deal with the consultant from that point onwards. If any of the process falls within our consultant's annual leave period then an interim consultant will be fully briefed and introduced to you and the client prior to their annual leave. On their return, you will be handed back to your original consultant.

Q. What is expected of me at interview stage?

Take a look at the interview section on our website here. There are lots of tips on presentation, questions to ask at the right time and lots more. If you have any other questions not covered in that section then get in touch.

Q. Why shouldn't I look for my next role myself and deal directly with the hiring company?

You still can, however, a good recruiter will also give you access to roles & organisations that you weren’t even aware of. In a large organisation, such as a plc, a connected recruiter can absolutely add their weight in gold, saving you from having to send your CV through a central HR source (for example). Instead, giving your CV directly to the hiring manager, offers huge benefits and can save significant amounts of time. We always recommend you at least utilise 1 or 2 good recruiters to put even more fantastic opportunities your way. You simply make a considered decision about the best role for you. Finally the other consideration is time and until you start to look for a new role you just don’t understand how time consuming and stressful it all is.

Q. If I am successful with my application, will you manage the whole process right through to on-boarding in my new role?

Yes, absolutely. This is where dealing with a recruitment agency can prove its ultimate value. We can assist with CV writing, interview techniques, administration, offer negotiation, counter-offer management, contract signing and, if necessary, help understanding and handle questions with regards to a complex contract of employment. We also make sure the handover to your new employer is a smooth process so they can help get you settled in as soon as possible.

Q. If I'm working with TALENTi should I ever contact the hiring company directly?

No. We ask that you leave all communication with the hiring company to the team at TALENTi as the hiring company can receive mixed messages and it can introduce confusion into the hiring process. We will keep you up to date with any progress with the hiring company. The point at which you will communicate directly with them is at the interview stage but we will coordinate all interview dates & locations. If you are successful at the interviews, we will manage all elements of the offer stage and on-boarding.

Q. What level of candidates do you work with?

We work across multiple industries at all different levels as we aim to support our clients in all areas of their business. However, we do not tend to work on salaries under £20k as the majority of our clients do not tend to use recruitment companies for these type of roles and are very successful at attracting this talent themselves through direct methods.

Q. Are you just dealing with the hiring company's HR department or do you have direct contact with Senior Management within the hiring company?

It depends on the client, what size they are and what their management structure is. We view HR as senior management as they have a key influence on the hiring of candidates and, in the vast majority of hires, we deal directly with the HR department. We may well have been referred to HR after speaking with Directors/Senior Management of the business or have started dealing with HR from the outset.

Q. Where do you source the vacancies you have advertised?

The majority of our vacancies come via our long standing relationships with hiring companies who choose to use TALENTi on a regular basis to fill their vacant roles.

Q. How long will the process take to find me a new role?

This is a very difficult question for us to answer as every placement is different. The hiring process within some hiring companies can be a long, drawn out affair, especially if the role is not one that needs to be filled immediately or there are many candidates being considered for the role. We have had candidates who are immediately offered a position at their first interview with a contract to be signed right there and then whereas some vacancies can take 6 months to fill. The majority of our candidates have been headhunted by TALENTi and therefore are already in a good role so the urgency to move on is lower. However, some candidates may well be out of work due to redundancy etc so we understand the urgency and will try to speed the process up as much as we can.

Q. How often will you contact me with updates?

We always aim to contact you around once per week to give you an update on any progress.

Q. I've uploaded my CV many times to recruitment websites and to a Hiring Company's own website/portal but never hear back. Will I get confirmation from you that you have received it?

Yes. We will always contact you if you have taken the trouble to upload your CV to us through our website or via email. We will be open with you as to whether we feel we can help you as your CV may be outside the scope of sectors that we deal with. If you have uploaded your CV on a speculative basis you will be contacted within 72 hours from one of our consultants to discuss the CV with you. If your CV is of special interest to us, it will more likely be sooner. If you have uploaded your CV in order to be considered for a particular role that we have listed then you will be contacted back within 24 hours.

Q. After my interview, do you get the feedback from the hiring company or should I look for feedback directly?

We will always endeavour to get feedback from the hiring company within a few hours of you finishing your interview and we will also contact you for your feedback. We ask that you don't contact the hiring company directly for feedback.

Q. How many interviews can I expect to have to attend?

There is no rule as to the number of interviews a hiring company will require of a candidate. In many cases, a 1st and 2nd stage interview will suffice. However, we have had candidates receive a contract offer at the 1st interview whereas others have to have 3 or 4 interviews before the hiring company will make a decision. The hiring company may also require psychometric testing of a candidate so this can delay the decision from the hiring company as they await the return of results from the test.

Q. Will I be required to undertake psychometric testing?

It depends on the role. Psychometric testing is very popular in some industry sectors, however it's not as common as people think. We rarely get informed by our client that the candidate will be required to undergo psychometric testing. It also depends on the type of role.

Q. Do you carry out psychometric testing?

When a hiring company requires psychometric testing for a candidate they may have an in-house solution or invite an external specialist company to carry out psychometric testing on their behalf. They may instead ask us to arrange for you to undergo psychometric testing and we would then use our specialist partners to undertake this for us and submit the results to the hiring company.

Q. I'm happy where I am. Why should I move on?

If you are happy with your current role and are not looking to move on then we're pleased for you, it sounds like a great company. However, if we have contacted you with a proposal from a hiring company, please take time to consider your current role, the opportunities available to you, the personal challenge, the environment, the work/life balance, the salary & the benefits before you decline our approach. There is no harm in finding a little more about a role we have approached you with and it may well be worth your while to speak with the hiring company as they may well offer you an opportunity not yet available to you.