We see thousands of CVs every year (mostly from middle and senior managers) and although many of these are well presented and communicate clearly the skills, backgrounds and experience of these candidates, there are CVs which do no service at all to the people they represent. As recruiters, we like to see people do well and achieve their potential. One of the most powerful tools in any applicant’s kit is a well crafted, clearly presented CV. Although it’s a personal document, there are some general principles that can turn an average CV into which stands out for all the right reasons. If you know someone who’d benefit for some timely advice, please send for a free copy of our fact sheet ‘How to write a CV’ by emailing us at factsheet@dickinsonsmithbuss.co.uk or call our Leeds office on 0113 203 1350, and we’ll do the rest.

Even more than most business meetings, job interviews seem to have the potential to end in disaster. Whether as interviewee or interviewer, we’ve all been on the receiving end of ‘one of those’ at some stage. Yet, with the application of a few simple principles, together with a dose of common sense, it isn’t difficult to make them work. Our fact sheet aims to help the interviewer to be aware of those basic principles and to encourage their application. Send for a free copy by emailing us at factsheet@dickinsonsmithbuss.co.uk (please enter ‘Guidelines for Interviewer’ in the subject box) or call our Leeds office on 0113 203 1350.

We’ve joined forces with Work Communications, one of the UK’s leading recruitment advertising agencies, to produce a fact sheet on Recruitment Advertising for Senior Roles. Work’s co-founder, Simon Howard - a regular columnist in The Sunday Times, People Management and The Grocer - and his fellow director, Steve Halford, set out why recruitment advertising, when used correctly, is highly cost effective. We also offer practical advice on the creation and placement of recruitment advertisements, including online advertising, covering the key elements that determine their effectiveness and success. Send for a free copy by emailing us at factsheet@dickinsonsmithbuss.co.uk (please enter ‘Recruitment Advertising’ in the subject box) or call our Leeds office on 0113 203 1350.

'Quality' doesn't always mean the same thing to everyone, but it's something most of us recognise when it's lacking in a service or product. In consultancy, a quality experience is not only about the process elements of a service, but is also defined by a feeling of integrity and the human and interpersonal characteristics that create successful relationships.

We defined some of the key factors, which, from our own experience, contribute to the quality of service provided by recruitment consultants. Though we don't necessarily believe that the list is definitive or exhaustive, we asked a selection of our clients and contacts to consider these key factors and decide which six they believe to be the most important. Then, we asked them to rank those six in order of importance. Finally, we sought their personal contributions to our list and any additional comments they might wish to make about us and the quality of our services. To discover the results, send for a free copy by emailing us at factsheet@dickinsonsmithbuss.co.uk (please enter 'Quality' in the subject box) or call our Leeds office on 0113 203 1350.