19.12.2022
REGISTERED UNEMPLOYMENT REMAINED AT A RECORD LOW FOR NOVEMBER
The Employment Agency reported a level of registered unemployment in the country of 4.4% in November. This is the lowest value of the indicator for this month since the existence of the institution's administrative statistics. The year-on-year dynamics also continues to show a decline, which for this November is 0.4 percentage points.
At the end of the month, the registered unemployed at the labor offices totaled 145,431, which is an increase of 3,444 persons more than those reported in October.
During the month, 23,744 new unemployed were registered. They are 1,738 less than the previous month and 906 less than those registered in November 2021. Another 609 people from the groups of jobseekers employed, students and pensioners also registered at the labor offices during the month.
There were 11,416 unemployed people who started work in November. 255 persons from the groups of pensioners, students and the employed also found work through the labor offices. During the month, the largest share of those who started work in the processing industry sector - 19.2%, followed by those in trade - 13.4%, hotels and restaurants - 6.1%, state administration - 5.3%, construction - 5.8% and others.
787 unemployed people from the risk groups were appointed to subsidized jobs during the month - 267 under employment programs and measures and 520 - under schemes of the Operational Program "Human Resources Development".
During the month, 377 unemployed and employed persons were included in various trainings, and 664 completed the training started in previous months, acquiring a new profession or key competence.
Claimed jobs on the primary labor market in November were 8,439. Most vacancies in the real economy were claimed in manufacturing (28.9%), followed by trade (13.6%), government (10.2%); education (8.1%), hospitality and catering (7.7%) and administrative and auxiliary activities (7.0%).
The most sought-after professions by businesses during the month are: machine operators of stationary machines and equipment; sellers; personal care staff; personnel employed in the field of personal services; workers in the mining and processing industries, construction and transport; skilled workers in the production of food, clothing, wood products and related; drivers of motor vehicles and mobile equipment; waste collection and related workers; teachers; metallurgists, machine builders and their relatives and craftsmen, etc.
19.12.2022
THE NEED FOR WORKERS AND SPECIALISTS IS NOT DECREASING
The second survey for 2022 by the Employment Agency on employers' labor needs indicates that, despite a series of crisis factors, the need for workers and specialists is not decreasing.
This is shown by the results obtained from the nationally representative survey, which covers 378,675 active enterprises in the country. And this time, the Employment Agency collects employer attitudes with the active assistance of the Employment Commissions of the 28 Regional Development Councils.
The collected data indicate that in the next 12 months the business will need 205,548 workers and specialists with skills and knowledge in various professional fields. This is up 6.1% or nearly 12,000 more than the previous year. 45,820 are the companies that say they will be looking for new staff in the next year. Compared to the survey in September - October 2021, their number decreased by 1,136 or by 2.8%.
Over the next 12 months, employers will be looking for 111,040 professionals with qualifications gained in vocational training and education. The most sought after will be: tailor, machine operator, builder, cook, woodworking operator, waiter-bartender, welder, operational accountant, food industry worker, locksmith, etc.
Bulgarian business will need another 45,954 specialists with legal capacity or higher education. Driver, teacher, nurse, and doctor continue to occupy the top spot among the most sought after by employers for specialists in occupations that require a higher education or legal qualification. Compared to the previous year, the number of graduates in demand increased by 2,244 or by 5.1%. In addition, 48,554 workers without a specialty will be needed in the various sectors of the economy in the next 12 months, and their number compared to a year earlier is nearly 7,000 more.
According to the study, in the medium term, i.e. in the next 3 to 5 years, the sought-after specialists with a higher education will be 123,284 people or 4.3% of those employed on a labor and service basis at the end of September 2022.
The most sought after specialists will be the graduates of the following majors: Pedagogy, Medicine, Economics, Informatics and Computer Science, Electrical Engineering, Electronics and Automation, Mechanical Engineering, Administration and Management, Communication and Computer Engineering.
In the next 3 to 5 years, Bulgarian business will also need 148,485 specialists with secondary education. The demand for specialists with secondary education will most often be in the fields of wholesale and retail trade, construction, engineering, metalworking and metallurgy, as well as accounting and taxation.
Plovdiv is the area where the largest number of workers and specialists are expected to be hired - 24,720, which is 12.0% of all the needs declared in the country.
In 16 regions, there was an increase in the stated needs of labor compared to a year earlier. The need for workers and specialists increased most significantly in the Stara Zagora region - 2.4 times. The following are the regions of Silistra – 2.2 times, Varna – 1.9 times, Kyustendil – 1.8 times. At the other extreme are the regions of Pleven, Yambol and Vidin, where the needs will almost double compared to 2021.
In the study of employers' needs, enterprises with different numbers are proportionally covered - from micro-enterprises with less than 10 employees to large enterprises with more than 250 employees. According to the economic activity, the largest share of surveyed enterprises from the "Trade, transport, hotel and restaurant" sector (37.4%), followed by the enterprises in the "Public administration, education, humanitarian healthcare" sector with 15.4% representation, and in third place is the "Industry" sector with 13.2%.
The labor force needs survey is conducted by the Employment Agency twice a year in order to collect and analyze up-to-date information on the professions, competencies, knowledge and skills of the personnel sought by employers and to plan measures to organize their professional training.
From next year, the survey will be conducted once a year. This regulates a change in the Law on Promotion of Employment from June 2022. The methodology and procedure for its implementation will be determined in the Regulations for the Implementation of the Law on Promotion of Employment, which is yet to be adopted.
16.12.2022
THE PLANNING OF NEW INDUSTRIAL ZONES WILL HAVE A SPECIAL FOCUS ON NORTHWESTERN BULGARIA
The planning of new industrial zones will have a special focus on Northwestern Bulgaria. This was announced by the Minister of Economy and Industry, Nikola Stoyanov, during a conference on the topic of Potential and Development of Vratsa and the Region, which was held in the city. According to him, about BGN 200 million in financing for the construction of industrial parks will be provided only under the National Recovery and Resilience Plan, and these locations are a tool for attracting investments in the regions.
The municipality of Vratsa has a serious potential for the development of industrial parks, and the identified over 10 plots are an excellent location for investors of any scale and with diverse activities, Nikola Stoyanov pointed out. He added that the Memorandum of Cooperation between the National Company Industrial Zones and the municipality of Vratsa will be renewed as soon as possible, which is a good basis for partnership and for attracting more investors to the region.
The data shows that after the covid pandemic, the economy in the district has already started its steady upward growth. This is confirmed by the growing number of employed persons in the Vratsa region, which from the beginning of 2021 to September 2022 increased by more than 11 thousand people, Stoyanov also said. According to him, these numbers are a sign of economic awakening in the area, but important issues related to employment and wages in this region are still on the agenda.
According to the Minister of Economy, in recent years the municipality of Vratsa is an example that with proactive actions and a lot of work, the region can become one of the positive examples for Northwestern Bulgaria. Proof of this is the fact that by the end of 2020, direct foreign investments in the region will exceed 120 million euros, added Stoyanov.
16.12.2022
BULGARIA RECEIVED ALMOST 1.4 BILLION EUROS UNDER THE RECOVERY AND RESILIENCE PLAN
The European Commission today made the first payment of grants in the amount of 1.37 billion euros to Bulgaria, after Bulgaria met 22 key milestones and targets related to the National Recovery and Resilience Plan. They cover important first steps in reforms and investments to decarbonise the energy sector, the large-scale deployment of digital infrastructure, reforming the judiciary, strengthening the anti-money laundering framework, digitizing the public sector, improving compliance and the coverage of the Minimum income. Measures are also included to ensure that the audit and control system for the implementation of the Recovery and Resilience Facility meets European standards.
Context
As for all other EU member states, payments under the Recovery and Resilience Facility - the main instrument of NextGenerationEU - are performance-based and dependent on the implementation of the investments and reforms in Bulgaria described in its Recovery and Resilience Plan.
On 31 August 2022, Bulgaria submitted to the Commission a first request for the payment of EUR 1.37 billion under the Recovery and Resilience Mechanism, covering 22 key milestones and targets. On November 7, 2022, the Commission adopted a positive preliminary assessment of Bulgaria's request for payment. The positive opinion of the Economic and Financial Committee of the Council on this payment request paved the way for the Commission to take a final decision on the disbursement of the funds today.
Overall, Bulgaria's recovery and resilience plan will be financed with 5.69 billion euros in grants. The amounts of payments made to Member States are published in the Recovery and Resilience Indicator Set, which shows the progress made in implementing the Recovery and Resilience Facility as a whole and the individual Recovery and Resilience Plans.
16.12.2022
SELECTION OF INVESTMENT PROJECTS FOR FINANCING SMES
The first for 2023 Session for the selection of investment projects for financing, organized by the Entrepreneurship Council of the Bulgarian Chamber of Commerce and Industry in partnership with the consulting companies Ernst & Young Bulgaria and Investor Relations Services, has opened. Small and medium enterprises can apply with their own projects.
The aim of the initiative is to support SME projects from Bulgaria by advising them on the appropriate financing for the specific project - bank financing, risk financing, financing through the Beam segment of the Bulgarian Stock Exchange, grants from European programs or other types of hybrid financing, and subsequently connecting them with the relevant funding institutions.
The session will take place in three stages
First stage: Submission of electronically completed forms with information about the applicant and the project
Second stage: Selection by an expert committee of proposals suitable for financing and their consultation on the appropriate forms of financing
Third stage: Presentation of the selected projects to financing institutions and potential investors
Entry requirements
Bulgarian companies - small and medium-sized enterprises, according to the classification of the Ministry of Economy.
Application form
Electronically completed and submitted sample form at: https://globaleysurvey.ey.com/jfe/form/SV_djmc8SjiTiCtVtQ
Selection
The selection of the projects will be carried out by an expert committee
Deadlines
Deadline for submission of forms: January 9, 2023.
Deadline for examination by an expert committee: January 12, 2023.
Deadline for informing the selected candidates: January 13, 2023.
Preparation of applicants for presentation to potential investors: January 18, 2023.
Presentation of the selected projects: January 20, 2023.
16.12.2022
THE ROMANIAN PARLIAMENT ADOPTED A DECLARATION PROMOTING EQUAL OPPORTUNITIES FOR WOMEN
The Romanian Parliament adopted a declaration promoting the full and equal participation of women in Romania in the development, financing and implementation of relevant programs, initiatives and public policies.
The declaration was supported by 235 deputies, 24 voted "against" and five - "abstained"; three deputies did not vote.
The text of the declaration highlights the need to implement a legal framework promoting equal access to mandates of political representation or professional responsibilities and management positions. The declaration also calls for the elimination of all forms of gender inequality – including violence against women and girls, early or forced marriage, lack of employment equity and the gender pay gap or unequal participation in personal and public decision-making.
In addition, the Romanian Parliament welcomes the initiatives to set a quota for representation in candidate lists in local, parliamentary and European elections, finding it appropriate to increase efforts to ensure real parity in the participation of women at local, national and European levels.
At the same time, the adopted declaration calls on all political and institutional actors to help increase the participation of women in all activities and at all levels of decision-making.
The Romanian Parliament also endorses inter-institutional dialogue on gender-sensitive education and promotes inclusion and equality, the declaration added.
16.12.2022
HOW YOUNG PEOPLE UP TO 29 CAN FIND A JOB
Over the past few years, more than 32,000 unemployed young people have gone through various activities under the "New Opportunity for Youth Employment" project, which is implemented by the Employment Agency. Who can apply for this project, what does it offer young people and which employers can benefit from it?
The most common industries that have benefited from the project so far and where young people have been employed are wholesale and retail trade, information technology, manufacturing and processing of raw materials, hospitality and catering.
"Youth employment is one of the most important programs that we implemented in the previous program period and which continues in the current program period - from 2021 to 2027. It is also the longest procedure that we have ever provided, financed under the program "Development of human resources". At the time, we saw extremely great interest in it, both on the part of employers and on the part of young people", says Nataliya Efremova, Deputy Minister of Labor and Social Policy to BNT.
The "Youth Employment" measure is aimed at young people up to 29 years of age. They can apply to the Labor Office by submitting an application stating that they are looking for an internship or job. Depending on whether they meet the requirements of an employer who has announced that he is looking for young people to work, they can be trained or directly employed in so-called "subsidized employment".
In practice, there are several possibilities. The first is an internship of up to 9 months with an employer. After its expiration, employers are stimulated with European funds to conclude an open-ended employment contract with the unemployed youth. They are reimbursed for the funds they spent on social and health insurance for the employed youth for the first 6 months of the open-ended contract.
This is the case with 20-year-old Gabriela Georgieva from Sofia. She graduated from the National Commercial and Banking High School in Sofia. Her relatives found out about the project and advised her to start an internship in a software company, since it was quite close to the "accounting" specialty she completed. She immediately registered with the employment office. After a few months they connected with her and soon after she started an internship at a software company.
"My mentor Stanislava and I immediately found a common language. I work great with her as she always helps me no matter how busy she is. At first I was really worried about bothering her with my questions, but she was very understanding of the difference between theory and practice and put me at ease in the process. So I wasn't afraid to ask her questions. Moreover, she predisposed me to ask her more and to develop more in the company," says Gabriela Georgieva.
“I introduce Gaby to the activities that an accountant performs on a daily basis. She has been with us for five months now. He familiarized himself with the accounting documents, with the program we work with, and today he is already calmly entering primary accounting documents," says mentor Stanislava Bineva.
The software company believes that applying for the project is simplified, with few documents. The training of the intern has not burdened them. On the contrary, they have an extra person to work with. The program covers the intern's salary for the first six months and he/she receives a minimum wage. In order to stimulate Gabriela, the company decided to pay a certain amount above the minimum wage.
The Ministry of Labor and Social Policy stated that the "New Opportunity for Youth Employment" project is constantly being updated. New activities will be added in accordance with the needs of the labor market. The deadline for municipalities to apply is the end of July 2023.
16.12.2022
WHAT TAXES DO WE OWE WHEN WE SEND AND RECEIVE A SHIPMENT
Hundreds of thousands of parcels are picked up and sent around the world every day, but with particular intensity and anticipation precisely on holidays. What is good to know in order to send and/or receive a shipment from another country without problems, explained experts from the "Customs" Agency.
Online shopping and e-commerce shipments
In mid-2021, the European Commission introduced changes to customs and tax legislation dealing with the taxation of postal and courier shipments subject to online trade. All shipments, regardless of their value, must be paid VAT at the rates in force in the Member State of the recipient, in order to put a sign of equality between the local trader and the online trader from abroad. The legislative changes have created mechanisms for taxing online shipments within the EU when the shipment travels from one member state to another, and in the customs area - when the shipment comes from a third country that is not a member of the EU. There is virtually no online purchase that doesn't incur tax in one way or another.
Personal parcels sent from one individual to another
These are the shipments that are not of a commercial nature and contain goods exclusively for the personal use of the recipient or his family. They are subject to customs clearance if the sender is outside the EU and the recipient is in the Union. They are tax-free if they are worth up to 45 euros.
However, when can the product or gift be too expensive for us?
The shipment can turn out to be very expensive if the recipient and the sender do not know the rules and have not done the math well. For example, if the customer only looks at the price of the item, it may look like a great deal, but with shipping and taxes, the balance can change dramatically. In addition, it should be borne in mind that with such online trading there may be problems and delays. For example, due to an error or missing documents, the recipient may have to pay VAT twice - once upon ordering and a second time upon arrival of the shipment, and then make claims with an unclear outcome, the Customs Agency specifies. Or not being able to pick up the package until it is clear who paid what in taxes and where. There may be a problem in general with the quality of the product, with its return, as well as with warranty support. All of these risks must be considered when trading online, especially with third parties.
Online trading customers should remember that:
- for all shipments up to 150 euros, VAT is paid, and for those over 150 euros, first duty is charged (a certain percentage that varies depending on the product and the country and is also included in the value for VAT), and then VAT.
- the value of the shipments includes their transport, that is, duty and VAT are charged not only on the price of the goods, but also on the delivery.
Both recipients and senders of personal parcels should be aware that:
Every shipment has some value, even if it is emotionally "priceless" items or "worthless" personal items. The value of the shipment is judged by its declared or insured value (this information is filled in by the sender). If he has over-insured, that is, he has declared an amount higher than 45 euros in order to ensure that the shipment does not disappear or to be adequately compensated in the event of a problem, it exceeds the limit and taxes will be charged. So suddenly the "free" parcel can start generating costs - for taxes and customs representation. This also applies if the parcel contains personal belongings of the recipient himself (even if he himself sent the parcel to himself to save on baggage fees on an airplane, for example). In such a case, assistance should be sought from the supplier (post or courier) to declare the real value of the used items.
For what reasons can our shipment be stopped by the customs authorities?
In fact, shipments are stopped by the customs authorities extremely rarely and for a short time - to carry out document control, control of the content, the declared value or if any fraud is suspected, the experts answer. In any of these cases, if the initial check shows indications of a problem, then customs officials immediately seek contact with the consignee of the shipment through the supplier, or in other words, the carrier.
In most cases, recipients think their shipment is "stopped" or "held" by/at/at customs when the shipment is delayed and they see a status associated with the word "customs" on the tracking. This is actually the part of the shipping process called customs clearance. This is actually a paper process and is the submission of a customs declaration for the particular shipment.
How is everything happening? The online merchant hands over the ordered goods to the carrier or supplier - post office or courier in his country. This first carrier, with the help of other carriers, passes the shipment to the final supplier, who keeps it in its warehouse until it ensures its free handover to the consignee. In this process, the customs is a control authority that must make sure that there is nothing prohibited or dangerous in the shipment and ensure that the taxes are paid, but how the whole process moves and how long the shipment will stay in the warehouse depends on the supplier - post or courier.
In general, customs clearance and the collection of government receivables is related to the electronic submission of a customs declaration by the supplier or recipient. If everything is in order with the customs declaration, within up to 24 hours the customs "release" the goods, that is, allow them to be sent to the recipient. In reality, how long it will take from the arrival of the shipment in the country (in the supplier's warehouse) to the submission of the customs declaration and from the release of the shipment to its actual delivery depends mostly on the work of the supplier and, in rarer cases, on the activity of the recipient (if he is required to submit any documents, for example). In the case of post offices, this process takes more time, and in the case of couriers or so-called express shipments - less time, but the two types of deliveries work with different prices for their services.
Unfortunately, customs are often approached by people who for one reason or another did not receive adequate information, including being misdirected by the seller. In most cases, however, it turns out that the processing process has not reached a submitted customs declaration at all, or vice versa, the goods have already "passed customs" but have not yet been delivered. Actually 1/1000 are the cases in which there are some problems with the customs declaration itself or with the goods and the customs requires additional documents, commented the "Customs" Agency.
From there, they advise recipients to urgently seek information from the supplier - post or courier, as they bear the overall responsibility for the shipment and must assist them throughout the process.
What cannot be sent and why?
There are different types of bans. Some are imposed by the carriers themselves and are related to the transportation of packages. Other restrictions come from customs or other institutions. In general, a problem arises when sending/receiving goods that are traded under special rules - for example, excise goods, weapons, medicines, gold and silver articles above certain limits, goods that are or look like cultural values. Special attention should be paid to food, for which the EU also has a special type of regulation.
Sending/receiving may be allowed under certain conditions - up to certain quantities, in the presence of certain documents, and in other situations it may be completely prohibited. It is best to seek information and ask questions on a case-by-case basis.
When asked what was strange, non-standard or prohibited in shipments, Lyudmila Georgieva, head of the Customs Bureau "Bulgarian Exchange and Sorting Center", answered that regarding online shopping, the most non-standard shipments recently contain certificates or certificates for purchased rights to stellar objects or certificates of ownership of parcels from other planets, as well as pieces of meteorites. It's also online shopping, an individual purchase, has a declared value, an invoice, and customs clearance. That is, even for such shipments, taxes are paid.
As for shipments that do not have a commercial nature or personal parcels, the most problematic are those cases where a high value is declared because of their emotional value. For example, photo albums and personal belongings of loved ones. However, the high value results in taxes being charged.
What happens if we declare that we are shipping one thing but actually ship something else?
The shipment is stopped and the case is clarified - is there a mistake or an intention, what is actually sent, can this product be sent or is it something prohibited and illegal. In any case, this creates problems for the recipient and delays the shipment.
Are there busier periods than others in terms of shipments?
The busiest periods for postal items are November (Black Friday) for e-commerce, as well as Christmas, New Year and Easter for personal items between individuals, Lyudmila Georgieva said.
Alexander Penev, head of the Sofia Airport Customs Bureau, pointed out that there is also an increase in courier shipments during the periods of holidays and discounts, but in general, their number is constantly high and increases every year.
As a trend - are numbers/volumes increasing or decreasing?
According to Lyudmila Georgieva, the trend in postal shipments is on the rise, due to the increase in electronic commerce. In the last year, only in the specialized bureau for postal items, about 40,000 import declarations for goods up to 150 euros are processed every month.
30-40 percent of the total number of customs declarations for import at Sofia Airport are for small shipments up to 150 euros - online trade and personal shipments. This means about 7,000-8,000 declarations per month, Alexander Penev reported.
As with postal and courier shipments, the countries from which the most shipments are ordered/sent to Bulgarian users (individuals) are China and the USA, and after Brexit - also Great Britain.
15.12.2022
IN WHICH AREAS AND SECTORS ARE WAGES RISING THE MOST?
Against the background of the continued rise in consumer prices, measures to increase incomes and purchasing power take center stage in the parliamentary debate. Leading at this stage is the proposal for an aggressive increase in the minimum wage, which threatens to even increase inflationary pressure, economist Adrian Nikolov from the Institute for Market Economy writes in an analysis.
The most general idea is provided by data on household income and expenditure as of the third quarter of 2022. At first glance, the average income per person in a household not only reached, but also outpaced the quarterly average inflation as measured by the consumer price index (18%), with the registered growth being 21%. However, this is a direct consequence of the aggressive increase in pensions over the year – recorded growth in pension income was as much as 44% year-on-year, compared to 11% growth in wage income, which was significantly behind the rate of inflation.
Visibly, the dynamics are highly uneven between individual economic activities. Average wage growth lagged inflation in the third quarter by just over 3 percentage points, but there was a significant difference even by ownership type, with the private sector lagging by 2.6 points and the public sector by 5.5.
This mostly reflects a slowdown in wages for a number of public-sector occupations that depend on the state budget, which lacks the flexibility of private businesses to adjust to changes in macroeconomic conditions, the analysis said.
According to the economist, among the individual sectors, the least lagging is in agriculture, public administration and trade, the largest - in health care and education. The large delay in hospitals and schools confirms the observation that the budgetary sphere fails to react in time to the contraction of the real wages of those working in it. In contrast, the outsourcing sector and processing in general are doing relatively well.
However, there is not a single sector of the Bulgarian economy in which the growth of wages exceeds that of consumer prices and realizes an increase in purchasing power.
As well as between industries, the country's 28 regions recorded significant differences in wage growth relative to inflation. As expected, Vratsa is doing the best - with only 0.4 points behind, thanks to the good performance of the energy sector during the year. Vidin, Blagoevgrad and Sofia achieved similar results. On the other side are Smolyan, Razgrad, Yambol and Lovech, where the slowdown compared to inflation is almost 10 points. The remaining areas are located across the spectrum.
The approach applied here, of course, has some obvious weaknesses - the review of economic activities does not take into account the differences in the dynamics of pay for individual positions, in the case of regions - the different price levels in different parts of the country and the potential for a different rate of change. Despite these limitations, however, it demonstrates sufficiently clearly the heterogeneous impact of price growth on workers in individual industries and areas, the analysis says.
This, in turn, has some obvious consequences for the way income policies, and in particular changes to the minimum wage defended through the preservation of purchasing power, are played out. The large differences both in the starting levels and in the rates of development of the country's regions and individual industries require an individual approach to each of them, which takes these realities into account.
Instead, the changes currently under discussion suggest simply tying the minimum wage to the dynamics of the average, which is extremely sensitive to the dynamics of the leading sectors and the fastest growing regions, which will inevitably lead to even greater problems in the least developed and the weakly competitive ones, the economist is categorical.
14.12.2022
HOW TO HAVE CORRECT BEHAVIOR DURING THE SELECTION PROCESS?
Going through the selection process for a desired job position can be very stressful even for someone with a long professional experience and a number of interviews behind them. This is even more true for the more inexperienced candidates on the labor market. That is why many people try to learn the "correct" behavior during selection.
The truth is that there is no such thing as a universal "correct" behavior, but there are appropriate and inappropriate ones for the particular company. However, HR professionals conducting the interview watch for some behavioral markers that are important to keep in mind when applying for a job.
Fairness and integrity
Although not usually mentioned in the advertisement as a requirement, honesty is a quality that employers are on the lookout for from the very beginning of the process. Many applicants feel that it is acceptable to misrepresent some of the information on their CV, but when it becomes clear, it makes a very bad impression. In today's reality, where HR professionals often consult social networks when pre-screening a candidate, inconsistencies are quickly and easily spotted. This is even more true in an interview.
Masking important information, avoiding questions, tendentious changing of the subject can raise doubts about the correctness of the candidate, which can subsequently be checked with a previous employer or directly lead to rejection.
Another marker of integrity is the way one talks about past colleagues, specific managers, and employers. Often, in an effort to present themselves in a good light, candidates drop negative comments that can be construed as slander.
Regardless of the position applied for, demonstrating fairness and respect for the people one has worked with is of great importance.
Honesty should not be overlooked - the rule of giving what you want to get is absolutely valid. No applicant will respond well to an employer misrepresenting salary or job description, and it is equally appropriate to provide unadulterated information about yourself.
Organization
Another key personal quality whose behavioral indicators are sought in the selection process is organization. It also manifests itself on many levels, starting with the CV. Cluttered, inconsistent information with no internal structure immediately creates a negative impression, especially in a time when it is so easy to create a representative resume with a variety of digital tools.
The candidate's preparation for the interview itself also speaks volumes about his organization. A person who has taken special time to plan their participation in the conversation immediately makes an impression.
Preliminary research of the company, knowledge of its products and services, noting specific questions on the part of the candidate show a serious attitude and self-regulation skills, which will later be valuable at work.
Experienced HR professionals monitor the candidate's organization when asking open-ended questions—for example, "Tell me more about yourself." In such a situation, it is noticeable whether a person can structure his thought, prioritize what he wants to say, argue coherently.
Communicability
It is a widespread myth that extroverts are more desirable job candidates. This is actually not the case - recruiters are primarily looking for a match between the characteristics of the candidate, on the one hand, and those of the position and the team, on the other.
A man need not force himself to behave more sociably than is natural to him in principle. On the contrary, it is important here to establish whether there is a synchronicity between person and environment.
For a position and team where a constant exchange of ideas is required and communication with a large number of people is a daily occurrence, a more communicative candidate will probably be preferred. But on the other hand, in more introverted teams, such a person would not feel out of place, and this could become a reason for leaving. Therefore, the HR specialist will look for a profile that better fits the climate in the team.
In all cases, however, it is important that during the interview the exchange of information flows smoothly and that the process does not feel one-sided. Some inexperienced candidates are bothered by their own anxiety and enter a vicious circle that prevents them from showing their best side in an interview.
In fact, most interviewers make a special effort to predispose the candidate so that they can have a constructive conversation. It is important for them to see a genuine interest in the position and the company.
In an interview, the process is always two-way – yes, the candidate is evaluated to some degree, but he also makes his assessment of whether this company is the right place to invest his efforts and time. In this sense, the most important thing for communication during the selection process is to be efficient and fruitful.
Self-presentation
When it comes to self-presentation, applicants can fall into two traps. On the one hand, it is quite possible to overdo it and make a bad impression. We all know that positive self-esteem and good self-esteem are important when applying for a job. Ultimately, everyone tries to "sell themselves" to a potential employer by showing why they are successful and how well they will do the job. At the same time, some candidates slip into bragging.
Company representatives keep an eye on this during an interview and are less likely to be impressed if the candidate bombards them with stories about their outstanding achievements that sound embellished or are clearly the result of teamwork. Even stronger negativity provokes the direct declaration of superiority over other colleagues at a previous workplace. From such statements, one can predict what will be the attitude of this person to new colleagues.
The other pitfall has to do with showing disengagement. In the context of virtual work, many people have weaned themselves from business etiquette, and this leads to all sorts of curiosities, such as the candidate lighting a cigarette during an interview or turning on, leaning on a pillow in his bedroom. It goes without saying how much of a negative impression something like that makes. Even an online interview is a formal meeting in which it is necessary to demonstrate respect.
The requirement that dress be strictly formal has long been outdated, especially in business industries where it is not a requirement of the workplace itself. However, it is important to show some effort and commitment - a neat appearance, choosing a neutral background during an online meeting, appropriate camera placement and a posture that suggests business communication.
Adherence to these standards of behavior during the selection process is much easier when time is taken for psychological self-preparation. It can consist of answering in advance questions such as: why do I want this job; how this position will contribute to my personal development; what is important to me in a company.
A person can think in advance about what would trip him up in the process - for example, he can always feel "like an exam" during an interview or block when filling out technical tests - and prepare a strategy for overcoming these difficulties.
When the candidate realizes that he is stepping on the same footing as the other side of the selection and sees it as a process of checking each other for similarities and dissimilarities, the "right" behavior usually occurs naturally.
