MAN EMPLOYED AS CLEANER IN AIRPLANE RISES TO BECOME CAPTAIN AFTER 24 YEARS

A man who got employed 24 years ago as an aircraft cleaner at Air Azman in Nigeria has toiled and 

risen gradually through the ranks to now become a captain in the aviation industry.

When Mohammed Abubakar joined Azman Air Services Limited, Nigeria’s Kano based domestic airline company 24 years ago, he never imagined he would rise so much from his position, let alone to be a captain.

However, his hard work and determination has paid off as he received his fourth bar to become a captain.
Mohammed Abubakar’s success story became viral on social media after a colleague of his posted photos on twitter with a little of his back story.

On the viral post, he captioned it, “He Joined the Aviation industry 24years ago as Aircraft Cleaner. Today He is getting the Fourth Bar to becoming a CAPTAIN. Congratulations Mohammed Abubakar from all of us @AirAzman.”

After finishing his secondary school, Abubakar got a casual job as an aircraft cleaner with Kabo Air in Kaduna. He recalled, “It was during Hajj operation, and I was earning N200 per day, even though many believed that I wouldn’t do it because of the meagre money involved. I was later employed as ground staff with the airline in Maiduguri. Through my service in the company, I worked in almost all the units, except security. That helped me a lot in the aviation sector.”

With time, Abubakar got employed as a cabin crew member after a solid performance at an interview held in Kaduna, where he served Kabo Air for 8 years, earning N17,000 monthly.

He later moved to Aero Contractors, in the oil and gas section of the company as a flight attendant, where he worked with their chartered services, as the company was then not into scheduled flight services.

While there, he gave some input, which made the then Deputy Managing Director of the company to take notice of him and soon the two developed a good working relationship, and the Deputy Managing Director would seek Abubakar’s opinion on many things.

Abubakar recalled the shock he felt when he received his first salary at Aero that he tried to return it thinking there was a mix-up. “This is because my initial salary at Kabo Air was N17,000, and what I got paid in Aero was N170,000, so I couldn’t believe it,” he said.

He decided to save and invest his money heavily on bettering himself. He explained, “I joined a contribution system with my colleagues, and when it was my turn to receive the accumulated funds, there was a sizeable amount of money. So, I went to the managing director and sought his advice on my dream of training as a pilot. He was so happy, and supported me. That’s how I managed to sponsor myself for my private pilot license in Canada, which marked my take-off as an aircraft pilot.”

Abubakar said the journey to actualizing his dream has often been tough and he even considered giving up. “But I was able to weather the storm, and here we are today.” he said.

Source: faithpanda

IS YOUR RECRUITMENT PROCESS MILLENNIAL FRIENDLY?

Employees are your most valuable asset, and if you want your business to thrive, you need to find and hire top talent. However, despite the different channels that you can use to identify and get in touch with the right people for the job, it can’t be denied that there are various challenges that you’ll have to overcome during the process.

Given that millennials are currently the largest generation in the labor force, it’s clear that you need to adjust your recruitment process to appeal to them. Here are a few strategies that you can incorporate into your current hiring process.

Create a Sense of Purpose

Although this generation has been frequently maligned for their alleged laziness and entitlement, making a social impact and having a sense of purpose is very important to them. That’s why they’re attracted to companies and brands which promote some kind of social awareness.

A job which puts food on the table is ok, but millennials want more than that – they would like to contribute to your company’s growth with their skills and expertise and it’s essential to show them how to do that.

A big, fat paycheck and cool perks won’t be the only reason why a talented and hard-working millennial would find your job offer appealing, so make sure to mention your company’s mission and values in your job description, as millennials want to find meaning in their work.

Personalize the Experience 

Personalization is all the rage in every industry, and millennials, who expect their purchasing experience to be highly tailored and personalized, want the same from the recruitment process.

You can see whether they’re the right fit for your company and win them over by conducting the interview at the office where they would work. This will allow them to get a test taste of what it is like to work for you and get a glimpse of the work environment that they will potentially be a part of.

Ask them a lot of questions, and let them do the talking. Active listening is essential for learning as much about them as possible. Plus, being heard is something that they highly value, and it would send a positive vibe if you give them the time of day and hear what they have to say.

Include Your Team

It’s a good idea to include your team in the recruitment process and have them interview your candidates. First of all, they are the ones who will be closely working with the new member of the team. Don’t forget that it’s them who’ll mentor the new hire, show them the ropes, and train them until they’ve gotten the hang of everything, so it’s important that they participate in the selection process.

Besides that, this approach will show your current employees that you value their opinion, and that’s something that will definitely present your leadership in a positive light.

Needless to say, your millennial candidates will notice and appreciate the way you treat your employees and that will undoubtedly appeal to them.

Offer them an Opportunity to Build Their Personal Brand

Millennials are keen on personal growth, and they want a job that will help them develop their professional skills and expertise.

According to a Gallup report, 59% of them mention opportunities to learn and grow as extremely important factors when it comes to applying for a new job. This is why you need to let them know that they won’t be stuck in a dead-end job if they decide to work for you. It’s essential that they understand that they’ll have an opportunity to learn new things and build their personal brand.

Get Creative With Benefits 

Essential perks are a must, which means that minimum healthcare, dental, and retirement plans should be a regular part of your employee benefits package.

As you know, tech giants like Google and Apple have earned their reputation as the most desirable companies to work for with their generous employee perks such as gyms, free snacks, and spa centers on campus.

Not many companies can afford such luxuries, but luckily, there are other ways to attract millennial employees. For example, the stat saying that 78% of millennials are more likely to spend their money on a desirable experience instead of a desirable thing speaks volumes about their mindset.

In other words, you don’t have to offer expensive material things if you want to appeal to them – telecommuting and flexible hours could be just what will make them happy. This flexibility which allows them to plan their schedule and spend more quality time with their loved ones could mean more to them than other perks.

It’s also a win-win for both parties because studies show that working from home positively affects productivity, which means your company will benefit from this perk too.

Millennial employees might be demanding in terms of what they expect from their job, but that’s actually good for your company because they’re ready to commit and work towards your shared goals. That’s what your recruitment process should reflect in order to attract and keep them.

It would be best to create an in-house recruitment process that works for you and invest in an in-house piece of software for that process. That way you’ll have your applicants’ resumes and other important information in one place so that you can study them and effectively personalize the recruitment experience.

Source: vervoe.com

5 COMMON INTERVIEW MISTAKES RECRUITERS SHOULD AVOID

By Emily Heaslip

Nightmares focusing on poor performance at work, especially job interviews, are common among adults in the US – and it’s easy to see why. Job interviews are stressful. Horror stories of interviews gone wrong are all over the internet. While they may be fun to read, it’s not easy to get through a job interview without making at least one mistake.

What does a “perfect” interview really mean anyway? Interviews have disqualified candidates for everything from being late to “being too attractive.” Candidate error is just one factor in the overall equation; and it’s all too common to make a mistake under pressure. At the end of the day, it’s up to the recruiter to decide whether a mistake is due to anxiety or a sign that the candidate is a bad match for the organization.

Here are some of the most common, but forgivable, job interview mistakes that recruiters should overlook.

A candidate sounds rehearsed

Many candidates don’t make it through the first-round interview because they sound too stiff. Recruiters lose interest when a candidate sounds like they’ve memorized their answers. It’s hard to get a good sense of who that person is when they answer questions robotically.

However, recruiters should consider that the problem isn’t the candidate’s presentation. It’s the questions they’re asking. Candidates apply to dozens of jobs during their search. Eventually, all the interview questions start to sound the same. Recruiters should avoid asking outdated, all too common interview questions that applicants answer at nearly every job interview.

There’s a certain script that’s easy to fall into. If you find your candidate sounds a bit canned, try a different approach in the next round.

A candidate talks too much

The opposite of a candidate who sounds rehearsed is a candidate who is too chatty. Anxiety or under-preparation is usually the driver behind a candidate who talks at length. Talking too much is usually seen by recruiters as a red flag – what if a candidate talks too much in a client presentation? Will this person be a distraction when working in teams?

It’s not necessarily fair to assume that chattiness is a sign of weakness. It could be a sign of under preparation, or it could be a lack of experience: two factors that job training can address. But for recruiters who don’t have time to spend all day in an interview, using a one-way video interview can help. Generally, we’re against putting restrictive timers on pre-recorded videos. What if the candidate has technical difficulties? But, you can set the time to be long enough to account for technical glitches while still cutting down on nervous chatter.

A candidate immediately responds to an interview request

Some recruiters consider replying to an interview request right away to be a red flag. Likewise, following up “too much” can make a candidate seem needy or desperate. In today’s hyper-connected society, expecting a candidate to wait an appropriate amount of time is a little too selective.

It could be that a candidate follows up because so few companies are transparent about their process. While talking to your job interviewee, make sure to be upfront about your timeline and next steps. Managing expectations can help prevent any lingering confusion or excessive follow up from your potential new hires.

A candidate is asking questions “on the fly”

It has become almost cliché for hiring experts to recommend candidates prepare their own questions. Recruiters disqualify candidates who ask questions “on the fly” – but why? Asking questions that are not pre-rehearsed can show genuine interest. A candidate who comes up with questions on the spot is engaged, paying attention, and quick on their feet. Recruiters should prefer that over a candidate who simply pays lip service to the interview script.

A candidate doesn’t bring a hard copy of their resume

It’s time to go green! If recruiters want a hard copy of the candidate’s resume, they are capable of printing it out themselves. Some recruiters see this as a sign that the candidate is under-prepared or careless. In reality, many people don’t have access to a printer. It’s an arbitrary ask that recruiters use to disqualify a candidate from making it to the next round. Wouldn’t you rather see an employee show their real-world skills rather than their ability to press print?