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This is the main Premier Technical Recruitment section.
c£65k - £70k neg dep exp + benefits
Location: East Midlands base - UK wide coverage
Description: Dynamic, proactive and experienced Automation Programme Manager required by our respected niche sector solutions specialist client to oversee all aspects of successful programme delivery.
c£55k-£65k neg dep exp + car + 10% bonus + exceptional benefits
Location: Based near Rotherham
Description: Experienced and proactive Branch Manager / Production Site Manager required to oversee all aspects of health & Safety and continuous improvement in a busy cylinder filling and handling environment.
c£25k-£28k neg dep exp + benefits
Location: East Midlands base - UK wide coverage
Description: Trainee Machine Tool Service Engineer required to learn all aspects of special purpose precision machinery demonstration and service within a fast paced solutions specialist environment covering the UK.
c£60k - £70k neg dep exp + car + bonus + generous pension
Location: Home based - UK coverage
Description: Dynamic, proactive and highly experienced Sales Manager / Business Development Manager required by our household name client to manage a team of sales and account management professionals.
to c£46k + car + generous benefits
Location: Slough or Livingston - flexible on either site
Description: Enthusiastic and experienced Senior Mechanical Training Consultant required by our established leading provider of technical training and assessment solutions.
to £35k basic + van + benefits - OTE c£45k+
Location: South Wales and South West region
Description: Experienced and enthusiastic Field Service Engineer required to cover the South West of England and undertake service and repair activities on a range of waste recycling special purpose machinery for a range of clients in the area.
to c£46k + car + generous benefits
Location: Slough with travel as required to customer sites
Description: Enthusiastic and experienced Senior Electrical Training Consultant required by our established leading provider of technical training and assessment solutions.
to £45k + exceptional benefits
Location: Worsley, Manchester
Description: Experienced and enthusiastic Electrical Technician required to undertake both PPM and reactive breakdown, installation and test activities on a range of electrical systems within a busy manufacturing environment.
c£45k + bonus + generous benefits
Location: Rotherham / Hybrid working
Description: Experienced, proactive and financially astute Senior Project Engineer required to ensure the on-time within-budget project delivery of a range of engineering projects throughout the UK.
to c£40k + benefits
Location: Coleshill, Near Birmingham
Description: Experienced and enthusiastic Press Tool Design Engineer with experience of CREO required by our established and globally renowned market leading manufacturing solutions specialist client.
£42,450 + 8% bonus + van + generous benefits
Location: Central London Region
Description: Multi skilled field service professional required to install industrial and medical, cryogenic, non-cryogenic gas storage and distribution systems to clients in the Central London region.
to c£36,500 + benefits
Location: Corby, Northants
Description: Experienced mechanical design engineer required by our market leading materials handling solutions specialist client. Excellent opportunity with genuine career progression opportunities.
c£30k - £40k neg dep exp + van + benefits
Location: Castle Donington / South Derby with UK coverage
Description: Experienced and enthusiastic mechanically biased multi skilled field service engineer required to undertake installation, service and repair activities on a range of high precision machine tools.
£33k + generous benefits and reviews after training
Location: Tamworth, Staffordshire
Description: Multi skilled, mechanically biased Maintenance Engineers required to undertake a range of PPM and reactive breakdown repairs on a range of unique and niche sector heavier engineering equipment.
to c£50k neg dep exp + benefits
Location: East Midlands - commutable from Derby, Leicester and Nottingham
Description: Dynamic, proactive and experienced technical sales engineer with demonstrable automation and robotic systems experience required to undertake new business development and account management activities.
c£36k increasing to £40k when qualified
Location: London and surrounding area
Description: Trainee engineer required to become CCCN1/COCATA/COMCAT1,3 & 5 and TPCP1 qualified after training as a field service required by our market leading commercial catering solutions specialist client.
to £58k + car + 10% bonus + excellent benefits
Location: Rotherham
Description: Proactive Remote Operations Plant Performance Manager required to ensure the safe, efficient remote operation, monitoring and on-boarding of significant manufacturing plants situated around the world on a 24-hour basis.
to £50k + £10k shift premium + exceptional benefits
Location: Rotherham
Description: Experienced and proactive Remote Operations Shift Manager required to ensure the safe, efficient remote operation and remote monitoring of significant manufacturing plants situated around the world on a 24-hour basis.
£ excellent - neg dep exp + benefits
Location: Coleshill, Warwickshire and surrounding area
Description: Experienced and proactive Process Improvement Engineer required by our globally renowned client to identify, implement and sustain continuous process improvement activities across a busy manufacturing operation.
to £50k neg dep exp + generous benefits
Location: Derby Head Office with UK wide travel
Description: Dynamic, proactive and experienced Project Manager required to oversee all areas of responsibility on multiple projects of up to £10m in value at a time.
to c£75k + car + generous benefits - neg dep exp
Location: East Midlands - commutable from Derby, Leicester and Nottingham
Description: Dynamic, proactive and experienced conveyor and materials handling solutions technical sales specialist required by our internationally recognised MHE and robotic systems integration provider.
to c£40k + generous benefits + OTE
Location: Derby or London Heathrow
Description: Experienced Electrical and Controls Commissioning Engineer required by our niche sector consultancy client to undertake a range of installation and support activities.
£40k Basic + call out / Overtime - OTE to c£60k + benefits
Location: Greater London and surrounding area
Description: Home based commercial catering repair specialist required to build, test, install and service a range of comcat equipment at customer sites throughout the London region and south east areas of the UK.
to c£32k neg dep exp + generous benefits + commission
Location: Derby Head Office with UK wide travel
Description: Experienced and articulate machine tool applications engineer required to work closely with customers and ensure their precision manufacturing requirements can be realised.
to c£40k + van + training + commission
Location: Derby Head Office with UK wide travel
Description: Articulate and enthusiastic field service engineer required with proven experience of working on highest precision machine tools and special purpose machinery.
to c£39k neg dep exp + benefits
Location: Derby Head Office with UK wide travel
Description: Experienced electrical and control system specialists required to oversee niche sector high technology projects from concept through to handover on a diverse range of applications.
to c£47k neg dep exp + ben
Location: Leicester
Description: Senior Mechanical Project Design Engineer required to oversee the design through to manufacture and commission process of a range of special purpose automated solutions and machinery.
Salary to c£50k + car + generous benefits
Location: Northamptonshire - commutable from Corby, Northampton, Kettering and Wellingborough
Description: Experienced senior control systems professional required by our market leading specialist automation solutions provider client.
c£35k - £41k neg dep exp + ben
Location: Corby, Northamptonshire
Description: Experienced and enthusiastic Electrical Engineer required to undertake electrical project design activities and associated control software integration on a range of materials handling solutions.
£33,000 + benefits increases after training (to c£35,500)
Location: Tamworth, Staffordshire
Description: Experienced electrical maintenance engineer required to undertake PPM and reactive breakdown repairs on a range of unique special purpose machinery and equipment.
c£18k-£23k + generous overtime, expenses and benefits
Location: Derby Head Office with UK wide travel
Description: Enthusiastic Graduate System Support Engineers required to undertake a structured on the job training programme supporting high-technology clients across the UK.
c£27k-£30k + van + benefits - OTE c£40k+
Location: South West of England
Description: Field Service Engineer required with previous experience of servicing and repairing balers, compactors and other special purpose waste processing machinery for the South West region of the UK.
c£36k-£42k neg dep exp + generous benefits
Location: Derby base - UK wide coverage
Description: Experienced and enthusiastic electrical and controls engineer required to undertake a range of design and development activities on an expansive portfolio of solutions allied to a high tech niche sector environment.
c£28k - £35k neg dep exp + generous benefits
Location: Derby base - UK wide coverage
Description: Experienced and enthusiastic electrical and controls project engineer required to undertake all aspects of control software and associated hardware development to ensure on time within budget project delivery.
£ Excellent + generous benefits - neg dep exp
Location: Commutable from Kettering, Corby and surrounding area.
Description: Experienced and enthusiastic electrical and controls engineer required to undertake a range of design and development activities on an expansive portfolio of automated systems and materials handling solutions.
to c£36k + benefits
Location: Northamptonshire - commutable from Kettering, Corby and Northampton
Description: Experienced Senior Mechanical Design professional required within an established and highly successful automation and materials handling solutions specialist environment.
Detailed below are some of the industry sectors and disciplines that Premier Technical Recruitment specialise in delivering permanent recruitment solutions to across the UK.
Since Premier Technical Recruitment began, there has been a dedicated Maintenance Division covering the UK in its’ entirety, and consistently delivered highest quality recruitment solutions to a diverse range of engineering and manufacturing environments throughout the country. Across all of the major engineering sectors covered, Maintenance positions are a core area of our business, with roles always available in the Food, Automotive, Manufacturing, Materials Handling and Distribution arenas.
Whether your requirement is multi-disciplined, or perhaps mechanically or electrically biased, and working on one of the many shift patterns available or simply on a permanent days basis, Premier Technical Recruitment excel in the introduction and placement of Permanent Maintenance engineering professionals to any market sector anywhere in the UK.
Skilled in establishing exactly what your organisation needs in terms of Control software experience, skills bias and the vital “person fit” in your existing established maintenance team for best results, let us demonstrate our experience in this area to you when you next have a requirement in this area.
The Aerospace Team at Premier Technical Recruitment have established and highly successful relationships with a number of key aerospace and defence related clients throughout the UK, and excel in the provision of business critical staff at all levels throughout the industry.
From Maintenance personnel and Design Engineers through to Field Avionics repair professionals and Procurement professionals – Premier Technical can draw on more than 20 years’ experience in this sector with testimonials and preferred supplier agreements with many household name organisations.
Having established relationships throughout the UK with a diverse range of clients in many engineering sectors, the Design team within Premier Technical Recruitment specialize in the introduction of permanent design personnel for many applications, from Automotive and Aerospace component design, to special purpose machinery consultancy allied to the materials handling and manufacturing sectors.
For Mechanical design professionals, we are able to identify a selection of technically challenging opportunities that will utilize skills in 2D & 3D Solid and Surface Modelling applications using a range of design tools including ProEng, Catia, AutoCad, SolidWorks and Mechanical DeskTop with Consultancies and Manufacturers respectively.
For Electrical design engineers, we work with a range of Automation and Special Purpose Machinery organizations that seek experienced professionals able to undertake complex panel design, integration of associated control software and often project manage the process from concept through to handover.
The Controls and Process Division of Premier Technical Recruitment specialize in the identification and introduction of PLC and SCADA Software engineers for a diverse range of applications throughout the UK. Highly skilled controls professionals are a valuable asset to any manufacturing, process or distribution environment, and the Controls team consistently delivers impressive results in this highly technical and competitive sector.
Many organizations struggle to find high calibre engineers who can demonstrate experience in the conceptual design and project management of control software integration, who can develop software on a range of PLC platforms including Siemens PCS7, S5 and S7, Allen Bradley SLC500 and PLC5, Mitsubishi, Omron, Telemecanique… the list goes on.
With our knowledge and experience of both candidates and clients, we specialize in understanding the requirements and skills respectively of both candidate and client alike, and pride ourselves in our proactive approach in matching the needs of each to ensure the best solutions are identified.
With established relationships spanning more than 20 years with many of the key automation and materials handling solution providers across the UK in both manufacturing and distribution arenas, the Materials Handling team within Premier Technical Recruitment specialize in the introduction of permanent engineers at various levels within the materials handling sector, from Multi Skilled Maintenance Engineers working within busy automated warehouse and distribution sectors through to Project Managers, Control Software Development Engineers, IT support personnel and Sales professionals working within special purpose machinery and automation solutions for manufacturing.
Able to cover the UK and provide permanent staffing solutions at all levels, the Materials Handling team have a formidable reputation for their "right first time" delivery and will prove an invaluable asset to any client seeking staff in this sector.
The competitive and fast paced Logistics arena is worth almost £60 billion to the UK economy each year, employing almost 2 million people between more than 60,000 organisations.
Within the Logistics team, Premier Technical Recruitment cover a range of industries including the Food and FMCG sectors, Retail Warehousing and Distribution sectors, and provide permanent recruitment solutions based on a contingency basis.
Typically, the nature of vacancies successfully satisfied in the division include Maintenance & Engineering Managers, Supply Chain engineers and Purchasing & Procurement professionals at all levels. In addition, working closely with the Manufacturing Division, positions allied to Lean Manufacturing and Continuous Improvement are also regularly identified and successfully resourced.
The Automotive Team at Premier Technical Recruitment can confidently demonstrate many years' experience in the supply of permanent staff to major UK and overseas automotive manufacturing clients, from Maintenance Engineers and Technicians to Manufacturing and Production management personnel – with dedicated Quality Engineering and Mechanical CAD Design teams able to source the most experienced and highest calibre individuals no matter how challenging the role.
Appreciating the considerable costs in terms of down time within the busiest of manufacturing environments whilst having a comprehensive database of engineers across the Midlands and the rest of the UK – this allows us to instantly understand and respond to your requirements with matching relevant candidate details.
Supplying to a range of clients across the UK, predominantly in the Automotive, Aerospace and Pharmaceutical sectors, and working closely in conjunction with the Manufacturing Division of Premier Technical Recruitment, we manage a range of Quality engineering positions, from Engineer level through to Senior Management positions, assisting our clients in the recruitment of highest calibre experienced professionals to ensure project compliance with appropriate business, customer and industry standards and procedures.
With similar skill set requirements to manufacturing opportunities, most engineering and manufacturing organizations have teams of professionals tasked with ensuring products and services meet their market requirements. Many of the quality posts we recruit for require individuals to be able to demonstrate skills and experience in Six Sigma, Lean Manufacturing, 8D, SPC and the various dedicated industry specific quality standards.
The Service Division of Premier Technical Recruitment has an impressive reputation for delivering bespoke recruitment solutions for a range of Field Engineer positions allied to the Machine Tool, Printing, Packaging, Robot and Materials Handling sectors across the UK. With many opportunities offering company vehicles, bonus schemes and attractive salaries for suitably experienced and committed service engineering professionals, many of the positions managed by Premier Technical Recruitment are often based from home and cover a specific region or geographical area and range from Field Service, Commissioning and Installation Engineer level through to Service Manager and Regional Service Director level.
The Purchasing Division of Premier Technical Recruitment can demonstrate considerable success and experience in the identification and introduction of commercially astute buyers and procurement professionals to a diverse range of engineering sectors throughout the UK. Regularly tasked with recruiting at all levels from Senior Buyer to Purchasing Manager, market sectors that prove to consistently need key, experienced personnel include the Automotive, Aerospace, Packaging, Distribution, Storage and Pharmaceutical sectors.
Covering an exciting and diverse range of industry sectors, the Manufacturing Division of Premier Technical Recruitment are regularly tasked with the identification and introduction of skilled and experienced manufacturing and production professionals for roles throughout the country.
With any manufacturing organization seeking to improve quality, reduce costs and increase production, comes the need to have focused and committed continuous improvement professionals in place to ensure all of these essential KPI’s are achieved, and delivered on time and within budget, and Premier Technical excel in the permanent placement of Black Belt Six Sigma professionals, H&S Management Teams, Lean Manufacturing Consultants, Process and Cell Engineers, Operations Managers and Directors and Planning consultants.
from £25k to £35k + benefits neg dep exp
Location: Derby base with UK wide travel
Description: Enthusiastic electrical and controls project professionals required by our niche sector solutions consultancy - excellent scope to progress and a cutting edge technology environment.
to c£28k + generous benefits
Location: Derby or London Heathrow base with UK coverage after training
Description: Enthusiastic electrical and controls engineering graduates required by our unique and highly successful consultancy client offering training and genuine career progression opportunities.
to c£35k + generous benefits
Location: Derby based with UK wide coverage
Description: Enthusiastic and self motivated electrical and control software project engineers required by our niche sector consultancy solutions provider client.
Introduction:
This privacy policy sets out details of the ways in which personal information we collect may be used. This privacy policy is only related to personal data collected by Premier Technical Recruitment Ltd.
Your Consent:
By providing your personal information to Premier Technical Recruitment Ltd you understand and agree that the information you provide will be held on our database and will be used by Premier Technical Recruitment Ltd as described in this privacy policy.
It is our policy that all information provided will be treated as private and confidential. In particular, personal information such as your name, postal and email address and telephone number will be used only in relation to the recruitment process undertaken by Premier Technical Recruitment Ltd on your behalf. You agree to us contacting you by either Phone, Mobile, SMS or Email in relation to the recruitment process undertaken by Premier Technical Recruitment Ltd or marketing updates regarding our recruitment processes. This information will be retained for a maximum period of 5 years unless otherwise instructed by yourself to amend or remove the information held.
A legal basis is our justification for why we are processing personal data in a particular way. The GDPR sets out legal bases in Article 6 of the regulation. During our data mapping process, we have identified that the legal basis that justifies how and why we collect, process and store your personal data in our organisation is under “legitimate interests pursued by the Controller”.
As defined by the REC (our governing body) – “Recruiters provide workfinding services to both candidates and clients as part of their business. They process personal data in order to be able to provide these services – including checking the identity of a candidate, their eligibility to work in the UK and qualifications as well as process pay as applicable and manage entitlement to certain statutory rights.”. Therefore it is in the legitimate interests of all parties involved – the recruiter, the workseeker (candidate) and the client that the recruitment business can process personal data.
Use made of personal information:
Personal information provided to Premier Technical Recruitment Ltd in any format will be treated as confidential. Such supplied information will only be used in relation to the recruitment process undertaken by Premier Technical Recruitment Ltd.
Disclosure of data to third parties:
The data provided will not be disclosed to any third parties without your consent unless we are required to do so by law.
Use of Cookies:
A "cookie" is a piece of information, like a tag, which some web sites create on your PC. Each time the browser requests a page from the server, this message is sent back. A cookie's main objective is to identify users and personalise their visits. Premier Technical Recruitment Ltd does not use cookies to recognise you on our website.
Updating and amending your personal information:
If, at any time, you wish to verify, update or amend the personal information you have provided to Premier Technical Recruitment Ltd, you can do so by sending an email to
Alternatively, you can write to Premier Technical Recruitment Ltd, PTR House, 32 Suffolk Way, Tamworth, Staffordshire B78 3XD.
Security:
We have implemented several security measures to ensure that your personal information is protected at all times. We use a firewall to prevent third parties from accessing any personal information and other physical measures to prevent external access of any personal information of any kind, as well as industry standard recognised software encryption security.
Changes to this Policy:
We may from time to time require to update our privacy Policy and we shall post these changes here such that you will always know what information we gather and how it is used.
Access to Information:
You can obtain details of the personal information we hold on you by contacting the Data Controller, Premier Technical Recruitment Ltd, PTR House, Suffolk Way, Tamworth, Staffordshire B78 3XD.
There is no charge for access to your information.
Updated: 9th February 2024
Please use this form to give or remove your consent for us to process about you as required via the GDPR legislation.
Plese fill in this secure form (your answers are NOT stored on this webserver)
Please use this form to request the removal of your data via the GDPR legislation
Plese fill in this secure form (your answers are NOT stored on this webserver)
The GDPR changes the current legal bases which are used to justify collecting and processing personal data, and require additional transparency in informing individuals about when (and why) their data is collected, processed and transferred. Traditionally, Premier Technical Recruitment has relied on an individual’s consent to justify the processing of their data. However, under the GDPR, there are stricter requirements for consent – it must be clearly distinguishable from other matters, in an intelligible and easily accessible form and must be capable of being withdrawn. Separate consent must be sought for separate processing activities (such as, for example, when a candidate has put his or her details forward for one vacancy and these are then used for an unrelated purpose).
Premier Technical Recruitment will only submit your details once the name of the client has been divulged, you have been briefed on their activities and the role available – and your acceptance to relay your details on agreed. We will retain your data securely for a maximum period of 5 years.
At any time, you are able request the removal of any data held on your behalf, and this can be done via email to
A legal basis is our justification for why we are processing personal data in a particular way. The GDPR sets out legal bases in Article 6 of the regulation. During our data mapping process, we have identified that the legal basis that justifies how and why we collect, process and store your personal data in our organisation is under “legitimate interests pursued by the Controller”.
Regarding consent, we ask you to “positively opt-in” via our e-consent form, and ensure that you understand the terms detailed in our terms of business and privacy policy. As you will have read, we use your data wholly for legitimate business interests – in securing candidates new employment opportunities and clients suitable candidates. No data will ever be sold nor made available to any external party save for the normal activities of a recruitment business – ie cv submission to a client with authorisation from the data subject.
Data sharing
Under the GDPR, the relationship between parties who share data between themselves will become much more heavily regulated. Policy on using data from job boards will, in particular, need to be reviewed carefully and as a candidate, you are entitled and indeed encouraged to ensure that the data held by a job board on your behalf is both accurate and relevant ie up to date – but also what their terms are for the onward transmission of this data to agencies and clients who subscribe to their services. Consequently, you should review, and possibly amend, your relationships with all those with whom you share data to ensure that they meet these new requirements.
Data Processing
Premier Technical Recruitment act as a data processor (We collect and process an individual’s personal data on behalf of other companies). Under previous data protection legislation (prior to 25th May 2018), there were few direct obligations. However, under the GDPR, Premier Technical Recruitment has direct responsibility for our own compliance with the GDPR and all of our staff have been trained and undertaken examinations to ensure compliance both individually and as an organisation.
Rights of individuals
The GDPR builds on existing rights of individuals (such as the right to object to the processing of data for profiling) and contains numerous new rights. Individuals will have wider rights of access and information and any inaccuracies must be rectified without undue delay. There is a new right to have your personal data erased where the data is no longer required, where consent is withdrawn or if the processing is unlawful. This accompanies a similar right to restrict processing where the accuracy of the data is contested or the processing is unlawful. There is also a new right of data portability that allows individuals to move their data to another controller (or recruiter) in a structured, commonly used and machine-readable format.
Security
- pseudonymisation and encryption of personal data;
- the ability to ensure on-going confidentiality, integrity, availability and resilience of data processing systems;
- the ability to restore data in a timely manner in the event of an incident; and
- a process for regularly testing, assessing and evaluating the effectiveness of security measures.
- Data protection and security has always been important to us and we adhere to all current data protection laws. We use industry best practice security including site-wide encryption (HTTPS), browser verification and two factor authentication to protect against the unauthorised access of any data we hold.
General Information
The EU General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) replaces the 1995 EU Data Protection Directive (European Directive 95/46/EC), with effect from 25th May 2018. The new regulation will strengthen and unify data protection for all individuals within the European Union and be enforced by the Information Commissioner's Office (ICO).
Premier Technical Recruitment strives to provide our clients and candidates with a simple and effective recruitment service – identifying relevant candidates for the needs of employers via various subscription job board platforms where we both post jobs and search for CVs. This has earnt us the trust of thousands of candidates and direct employers from across the UK over many years. We will continue to make the necessary changes to our service offering to ensure we are compliant with the new legislation, and we will keep our clients informed.
Working with Premier Technical Recruitment Ltd
The new regulations will not affect your ability - to register jobs with us as a client - nor your CV data as a candidate seeking a new position - in line with our terms and conditions, which are kept up to date in line with all data regulations. As subscribers to the job boards, we are responsible for protecting the data that we control and process under the new GDPR principles but we recommend that you familiarise yourself with the core principles to ensure you are aware of any legislation that may be of concern to you.
Updated: 9th February 2024
Whilst proud to work with a number of household names and blue chip clients throughout the UK as well as further afield in the USA, Singapore and Europe, we are also able to work on a candidate-lead basis, working on behalf of experienced individuals and proactively identifying clients and organisations that would benefit from their experience – and often resulting in companies creating positions around individuals that they wouldn't want to miss out on despite not necessarily having been actively recruiting for such team members.
If you are an engineer looking for a new permanent position but instead of registering with a job board, prefer the personal approach of working with a dedicated consultant who understands your reasons for seeking a new position and the other key parameters specific to your own circumstances and aspirations, then contact us on 01827 68400 in order to discuss your preferences in more detail.
There are no costs involved for this service, and your details will never be sent anywhere without your prior agreement, ensuring confidentiality and a personal professional approach at every step of the way.
Also, if you are going to be attending an interview you might be interested in reading our Interview Advice and Preparation article below, and also take a look at our Extras page for additional useful information.
Interview Preparation
Increase the chance of success in securing the role that you want by following some simple but proven techniques and methods of which some you will know, and others may be new to you.
COMPANY AND JOB RESEARCH
Preparation & research are essential – “By failing to prepare you are preparing to fail”
Using knowledge gained through research enables you to:
- Convey your interest in the job & the company.
- Convey your enthusiasm about working for the company.
- Demonstrate that you have invested time & effort in finding out about them.
- Approach the interview with more confidence.
- Find common ground with the interviewer & gain credibility.
- Demonstrate that you are the best person for the job.
The more you are able to show that you want to work for the Company, the more the Company will feel that they want you to work for them.
THE COMPANY
Try to find out the answers to the following questions, whenever a Company invites you for an interview:
- What business or businesses is it in?
- What is its range of products & services?
- How long it has been established?
- How many people does it employ?
- What is the turnover in monetary terms?
- What are the names of any subsidiaries or specialist divisions?
- How many offices, factories, branches & sites are there?
- Where are they located?
- Who are the board members?
- Who are its main competitors?
- What is its standing in the market place?
- How does it market itself?
- Has there been any recent media coverage?
- Have there been any new products, services or innovations?
- Have there been any recent technological developments?
- What about the future plans? What is the Company Vision & Mission statement?
SOURCES OF INFORMATION
Possibilities Include:- The Library
- The Internet
- Company Literature
- The Job Advertisement
- A Company Visit
- Company Correspondence sent to you
- Annual Report
- Trade Journals
- Business Directories e.g. Dun & Brad Street
- Quality newspapers e.g. Financial Times, Daily telegraph
- Chamber of Commerce
- Companies House
- People who buy from or sell to the Company
- Friends, relatives & Acquaintances
If a prospective employer sends you any information you must read it thoroughly. If you are questioned on it and you cannot provide answers it will give the impression that either you are not particularly interested in the Company (“any old Company will do”) or you were not motivated and dedicated enough to prepare. You will certainly not be expected to know everything, but there is absolutely no excuse for knowing nothing.
THE JOB
Because you need to sell yourself against what the interviewer is looking for, you must be able to effectively match your skills, qualifications, experience & attributes to the duties & responsibilities of the job.
Sources of information can include:
- The job description/specification
- The advertisement for the job
- A Recruitment Consultant
- Someone who has done that type of job before or is doing it now.
- Are genuinely interested & enthusiastic about the job
- Can do the job effectively
- Are well suited to do the job
- Are the very best of those applying for the job
INTERVIEW QUESTIONS
How well you answer the questions put to you by the interviewer will obviously have a great bearing on the outcome of your job application. Interviewers often ask the same questions, so there is no excuse for being unprepared for many of them. Remember that the ability to listen is a key interview skill – to pay attention, to absorb & understand what the interviewer is saying without misinterpreting, assuming or jumping to conclusions.
ACTIVE LISTENING
- Tilt the head to one side to show you are listening
- Concentrate
- Look at the interviewer to demonstrate that you are listening intently
- Pay attention to the tone & inflection of the interviewers voice – where is the emphasis?
- Be careful not to mishear or misunderstand
- Seek clarification if you are not exactly sure what is being asked
- Don’t decide upon your response until you have listened to the entire question
- Don’t focus so much on what you want to say that you lose track of what the interviewer is saying
- Don’t jump in if the interviewer is merely pausing.
- Practice your answers
- When asked what YOU have achieved in your career to date, or what YOUR responsibilities have been in a particular role, answer “I did this “ or “I am responsible for this” - after all, the interviewer is looking to establish how deep YOUR skills go. The biggest mistake people make at interview is to effectively “hide behind” the achievements of others or the workings of a team, and reply with “we do this” or “we did that” – not what the interviewer is looking for!
- Identify the question areas from the job description & advertisement & consider what questions you would ask to confirm a candidate’s suitability
- Take your time before answering a question
- Stay calm & collected
- Talk at a comfortable pace & use the volume & tone of your voice to sound confident & believable
- Avoid “Umm” & Ahh”. · Do not ramble – be clear & concise.
- Be positive and enthusiastic.
- Frame your answers around actual experiences as opposed to opinions
- Understand what the interviewer is looking to evaluate and sell your skills, experience, personal qualities and achievements in that area
- Have examples ready to back up your assertions
- Do not “wing it” – if you do not know an answer, it is better to admit you don’t rather than give the wrong answer
- Tell the truth
- Watch the interviewer for signs of their feelings
- Don’t get downhearted if you are getting a hard time or are put under pressure
- Deal with interruptions in a confident and relaxed manner – smile.
POSSIBLE INTERVIEW QUESTIONS
Tell me about yourself?
- Will come at the beginning
- Is the archetypal “why should I employ you?”
- Is a blank cheque to fill in
- Is a great opportunity to sell yourself and your abilities
- Answer should be short positive, concise and relevant
- Do not say “What exactly would you like to know?”
- Do not begin with “I was born in…..”
What would you say were your Strengths and Weaknesses?
- What are your strengths – “why should I employ you?”
- What are your weaknesses – “why should I not employ you?”
- Question is about self-awareness – Do you know what you are good at and in what areas you need to improve?
- Focus on the strengths that are relevant to the job.
- Do not undersell yourself.
- Do not mention more than 2 weaknesses
- Do not state weaknesses that clearly relate to the job
- State weaknesses that can be viewed positively
- Perfectionist: Paying attention to detail is viewed more positively.
- Workaholic: Being dedicated is viewed more positively.
- Bored easily: Need to be challenged is viewed more positively.
- Don’t suffer fools gladly: Having high standards is viewed more positively.
Why did you choose the A levels / Degree that you did?
- Question used to evaluate your decision making process
- Finds out about your motivations and approach to learning
- Discovers whether there was a logical and sensible reason for your choice.
What are / were the reasons for you leaving your previous / current employer?
- Are there any reasons that might make me not want to employ this candidate?”
- Do not openly criticise colleagues, manager or company.
- If your reason for leaving is money talk about your skills, attributes and experience in terms of market rate. Employers like value for money – you do not want to appear greedy or mercenary.
- If you were made redundant, do not react defensively or negatively. Give the interviewer a full picture – restructuring, number of jobs affected, time frames etc.
- If you did not get on with your boss be constructive and talk in terms of management style, providing examples where appropriate.
- Remember one of the best reasons for leaving is to broaden your experience.
What is your biggest achievement?
- Your answer will give an indication of what motivates you and what is important in your life.
- The interviewer will be looking for evidence of the skills and positive characteristics you displayed which will be useful in the job.
- Select only one fairly recent example, which wasn’t particularly easy to achieve.
Where do you see yourself in 5 years time? This question is used to find out:
- How ambitious are you?
- Do you have a vision?
- Will you stay with the company?
- Are you realistic?
- Do your plans fit in with the company’s plans?
The safest answer is probably to highlight that your first priority is to attain a high level of achievement in the role you are considering, before assessing where your skills could be affectively utilised next.
What was your biggest mistake?
- Are you honest and objective enough to recognise and admit a mistake?
- Could it have been avoided?
- Is your judgement sound?
- Have you learnt from it?
- What would you do/have done differently?
Why are you interested in this position?
- This is your best opportunity to “make the match” · Sell what is relevant and important to them.
How much do you know about our company?
- This is your opportunity to demonstrate that you have taken the time and effort to properly research the company.
- Prioritise to show you have a good general knowledge of the company and an insight into any challenges and issues it may face.
What did you do in your last job?
- Talk enthusiastically and in detail.
- Emphasise those elements of your last job that are relevant to the requirements of the job for which you are applying.
- Remember to talk about levels of involvement and achievements.
Why should we employ you?
- The effectiveness of your answers will depend on how knowledgeable you are about the needs of the job and company, how well you have analysed your skills, experience and attributes and how well you match up the two.
OTHER QUESTIONS you could expect may include:
- What did you like best about your last job?
- What did you like least about your last job?
- What was your greatest challenge in the job?
- How successful would you say you were?
- How do you like to be managed?
- How would you describe your relationship with your colleagues in your last job?
- What did you learn from your last job?
- How were you targeted?
- How was your performance assessed?
- What is it about the company that appeals to you?
- What do you think you can bring to this company?
- Do you consider yourself a team player?
- What would your last manager say about you?
- What 3 words would your colleagues use to describe you?
- What 3 words would your manager use to describe you?
- What would your previous colleagues say about you?
- What would your friends say about you?
- How would you describe yourself?
- How satisfied are you with how your career has advanced so far?
- What are you looking for from your next employer?
- What is your biggest disappointment to date at work?
- What has been the biggest problem you have faced & how did you solve it?
- How do you deal with conflict?
- Give me an example of when you feel you have coped well under pressure at work?
- Give me an example of when you have been criticised and talk to me about how you responded?
- How well do you manage your time?
- What motivates you?
- What demotivates you?
- Give me a recent example of when you have shown initiative at work?
- Give me an example of when you felt particularly enthusiastic about a task you had to complete?
- Give me an example of when you have been required to show a sense of urgency at work?
- How do you read when you are left to work unsupervised?
- What salary are you looking for?
- When can you start?
- What do you like to do in your spare time?
QUESTIONS TO ASK when given the opportunity to do so as the interview comes to an end:
- Do not say “No I don’t have any questions”
- Always write down your questions – this is evidence of preparation & interest. Even if you believe all your questions have been answered during in the interview, still double check your list in front of the interviewer
- Ask a minimum of 3 or 4 questions
- Be careful not to talk too much and outstay your welcome
- Do not have questions about salary, holiday, sick pay etc the top of your list
- Genuinely seek information to assist in your decision making – do not ask questions just for the sake of it
QUESTION AREAS
- Company structure and reporting lines
- The team
- Company plans and how the job fits in with those
- Industry outlook and competitive challenges faced
- Current Company performance
- Existing or new products and services
- Reason for the vacancy
- Focus of the role
- Performance appraisal success indicators
- Training and development
- Future opportunities
- Interviewers own career history with the company
BODY LANGUAGE
People often talk about "Body language" in interviews, and this includes:
- Posture
- Body position
- Gestures
- Eye contact
- Facial expressions
- Body movements
Recognising and interpreting body language offers an insight into what people are thinking and feeling. Some interviewers may take body language into account when considering and forming an opinion of the interviewee.
Non-verbal signals include:
- Crossing arms, doing up jacket – defensive, resistant
- Avoiding eye contact, rubbing eyes – lying, embarrassment
- Touching collar/mouth/nose - lying
- Persistent, hurried nodding – impatient
- Tense facial expressions – nervous
- Nodding as a natural gesture – agreement
- Sitting forward – agreement
Although it is helpful to be aware of your body language, you should not become too self conscious – just be yourself!
GESTURES
- Avoid using gestures that might irritate or distract the interviewer
- Fiddling with jewellery or repeatedly pushing glasses upon nose
- Running hands through hair or twiddling bits of hair
- Picking at fingernails or ears or even biting fingernails
- Blinking incessantly
- Continually clearing throat
- Scratching a lot
- Tapping fingers or feet
- Fidgeting in chair
- Putting hands in and out of pockets
- Flapping arms around when talking
- Jingling loose change in pockets
- Repeatedly clicking pen
- Laughing at inappropriate moments
You may not do these things because you are nervous, but they are likely to make you appear nervous Nerves are normal & help you to give of your best during the interview, however, it is important to feel & appear as relaxed as possible. The following will help:
- Get a good nights sleep before the interview
- Consciously slow everything down on the day of the interview
- Remember you have prepared well & can only do your best
- Remember most interviewers want you to perform well
- Smile
- Be positive & imagine the interview going well – and feel confident about your appearance
- Allow plenty of time to get to the interview and arrive 10-15 minutes before the interview time
- Breath slowly & calmly
- 1/3 of your message is conveyed through your words 2/3 of your message is conveyed through your non-verbal communication
FIRST IMPRESSIONS
“You never get a second chance to make a first impression”
Most people, including interviewers, make initial judgements about others based on their appearance. Interviewers from up to 90% of their opinions within one & a half minutes of meeting people.
If you make a poor first impression you have built a hurdle that you have to get over during the interview, in order to convince the interviewer that you are the best person for the job.
Psychologist’s research shows that the % contribution to first impression judgements is:
- 55% What people see-appearance, posture, body language, facial expressions, eye contact
- 38% What people hear- tone, pace, volume, pitch, clarity of speech, hesitation
- 7% The words people use
What you look & sound like are initially far more important that what you say
ARRIVAL - some useful things to remember
- Your interview effectively starts when you enter the Company’s premises and you should act accordingly
- The receptionist & other staff you meet in the reception area are part of the organisation you are looking to join.
- The interviewer may seek their opinions about candidates and you have a good opportunity to create the right first impression even before you meet the interviewer
DO
- Be pleasant & polite to Company employees
- Smile
- Read the Company literature available
- Look over your preparation notes & mentally prepare
- Be patient & calm if the interviewer is running late
- Prepare your introduction/greeting
- Relax
DON’T
- Smoke, eat or chew gum
- Wear sunglasses
- Bring shopping bags or gym bag to the interview
- Use your mobile phone or ask to use their phone
- Check your appearance in public
- Bring anyone with you
GREETING THE INTERVIEWER
- Smile, Stand up when the interviewer approaches and stand up straight with shoulders back, don’t slouch
- Make eye contact and offer a firm, “dry” handshake!
- Project your voice, don’t mumble – and walk alongside the interviewer
- Be prepared for the small talk-did you get here OK? Did you find us ok? How was your journey? How did you get here? The weather!
- If the interviewer is not talking, initiate the conversation with your positive first impressions of the Company
THE CLOSE
You must ensure that you & the interview end on a positive note to reinforce the good first impression you made at the beginning. It is very important to make best use of the closing moments in an interview, if an interviewer is seeing a number of candidates with similar qualifications & experience, their decision regarding appointment may be greatly influenced by the candidate’s behaviour at the end of the interview
Remember the more you show how interested you are in the Company, the more interested they will become in you
Always make the interviewer aware of how enthusiastic you are about the job. Playing it cool may work in poker. It doesn’t work in job hunting “Thank you for seeing me today - I’ve really enjoyed our meeting. This is exactly the type of organisation I’d like to work for & I would love to have the opportunity of proving myself in this role”
THINGS YOU SHOULD NEVER DO AT THE END OF AN INTERVIEW
- Bluff or pretend you have another offer and need an immediate decision
- Ask the interviewer how well you have performed - instead turn it around and ask if there is anything they need any further information on to make sure they understand exactly what you could bring to the business
- Try to pressurise the interviewer into a decision
- Ask the interviewer when they are expecting to make a decision - perhaps instead asking how long before you are likely to get feedback as you are obviously keen
- Raise the subject of money - Although they may ask you about salary expectations and you will need to answer if asked, you should avoid instigating the conversation yourself. It could be appropriate for sales people to talk about money, when their package is based upon bonus/commission. Examples: How much can I earn? What is my earning potential?
GOOD LUCK!!!
Remember – by virtue of the fact that the client has requested your attendance at interview, there is already interest in what they know about you so far from your CV. Use the interview as the opportunity to build on that foundation and ensure that at the end of the interview, they believe as you do that no one else would be more suited to the position than yourself!
Premier Technical Recruitment is an established leading supplier of permanent engineering and technical staffing solutions throughout the UK across a range of disciplines and technical sectors and offering extremely competitive terms of business. If you are needing to recruit permanent employees or have a vacancy enquiry that you wish to discuss, then contact us on 01827 68400 or complete the form below and we will contact you as a priority.
Upon receipt of a job specification, we will clarify any points with you regarding the role before creating a dedicated bespoke advertisement that will be sent to you for your approval. Once satisfied, the advert will then be uploaded to more than 40 dedicated "job boards" specifically focussed on attracting engineering and technical candidates and applications will begin to be shortlisted, with candidates being interviewed and their suitability established.
Parallel to the applications being received from the job boards, we also have access to the same 40+ job board databases as well as the dedicated Premier Technical Recruitment database – offering unrivalled coverage across all disciplines and on the most up to date relevant engineering candidates.
There are no costs incurred for advertising across the sites and all interview costs prior to CV submission are covered by Premier Technical Recruitment – and a fee only becomes payable when a candidate introduced by Premier Technical Recruitment commences employment with your organisation.
We suggest that adverts appear for 5 working days and ideally include a weekend for maximum internet exposure – and our shortlist at the end of this period will realistically consist of no more than 5 CVs of candidates who have been specifically spoken to about your role and have confirmed their interest once briefed.
All candidate interview notes can be made available to you and initial telephone, face to face or Skype arrangements can be made to suit your preferences, and our consistently successful comprehensive pre-screen interview and cv shortlisting activities ensure that you are provided with details of only the most relevant candidates for your positions.
You will be allocated a dedicated Client Account Manager who can visit your location if required in order to gain a deeper insight into the environment our candidate will be working within, and who will be available throughout the recruitment process to ensure that arrangements are made to make the campaign as smooth and efficient as possible.
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Premier Technical Recruitment have worked with my company on a number of occasions and offer an extremely professional service in matching the company to the prospective candidate. I will continue to work with the team in the knowledge that I will get the right candidate for the job role, and I would not hesitate to recommend Premier Technical Recruitment as they are a company that operate with complete honesty and integrity and who offer professional and relevant advice when required.
As an engineering graduate with very little experience it can be extremely difficult to find positions that suit your skill set and character. Premier Technical Recruitment’s approach to recruitment is a refreshing change from the typical ‘tell them anything’ style that I have experienced, and the team were quick to gain an understanding of my ability and requirements before highlighting positions that suited these needs. Their vast experience in the industry means that they are able to focus quickly on positions that are relevant to you and are able to 'push your details' in the relevant direction and to the relevant people. You can count on the consultants to get back to you when they say they will and also extend the courtesy of giving regular updates even if there are no new developments. This personalised level of customer service is the way forward for the recruitment industry and means that as a candidate or employer you can rely on PTR to deliver to your needs. If you are looking for honesty, efficiency and respect than PTR is the company to choose.
As well as looking after contract requirements both internally and externally, I act as liaison for the Engineering team and use second tier suppliers for “hard to find” Permanent Engineering Positions (our main business is 98% contract requirements). I have found that Premier Technical Recruitment Ltd give a focused and reliable service and already demonstrate a considerable success ratio, and I have not known another company where we have had such a good service. They do not work the "numbers" game – and instead simply send quality candidates as can be seen from their success to date. From the engineers that we have taken on from Premier Technical, it is clear that they too receive a professional service as well. The consultants we have liaised with have always acted professionally and ethically, and are governed by the stringent professional recruitment body REC so would not hesitate to recommend them in the future to anyone seeking permanent technical staff or a position for themselves.
I'd like to take this chance to thank you and Premier Technical Recruitment for the outstanding amount of effort and time put into finding me the perfect role. You sincerely had my best interests in mind and represented me to prospective employers with the upmost of professionalism. I was very impressed with the way that you managed to convey my opinions and thoughts while negotiations were in progress as well as the numerous occasions you worked on my behalf during weekends and well after normal business hours. In particular I'd like to thank you for the regular and friendly dialog we had regarding upcoming interviews as well as post interview discussions. I have been dealing with many recruitment firms but Premier Technical Recruitment was the only one that provided me the level of excellence I carry with me in my own career.
