Sarah Theo and the specific recruitment landscape of Luxembourg
How long has Greenfield been in Luxembourg? Which sectors do you cover?
Greenfield S.a.r.l was created in 2008 by two Directors – Christopher Purdy and Courtney Charlton, what set them apart in this competitive market was their tenacity, flexibility and solid relationships. Today Greenfield has 10 people, focusing on 3 core businesses: Accountant & Controlling / Legal & Compliance / Banking & Operational Finance. Moreover, to strengthen our relationship with our clients and to face the demands of the market we have further developed our recruitment services to include human resources, sales and administration.
How does the Luxemburgish market differ from the UK market?
They have very different approaches– this is from the clients’ and candidates’ perspectives. The recruitment process in Luxembourg tends to be longer with at least 2 to 3 interviews in order to make sure they select the right person in terms of technical and soft skills. This can be due to a number of different factors, such as lack of internal approval, recruitment procedures and that internally each party would like to be involved. The UK market tends to be more dynamic with as little as one interview being the norm, this is especially seen where the profile is niche and highly sought after. In this case the approach can be much more aggressive due to the high demand and short supply of specific profiles. As such a recruitment process in the UK can be finalized in 2 to 3 days when in Luxembourg the average is between 1 to 3 months.
What kind of profiles are your clients typically seeking?
Most of the profiles that are required in Luxembourg are usually within the financial services sector, with the demand being constantly for Auditors, Accountants and Corporate Administrators – from junior to management level. Depending on our client requirements we may also need to identify specific technical skills such as Consolidation and local reporting knowledge. On top of this language competences can influence the level of the search, with the most sought after being German, Dutch, Luxembourgish alongside English.
What are the usual requirements to get a job in an accounting department in Luxembourg?
The most important criteria for the candidate to be considered is the local experience, this is due to the reporting standards which are required, it is also important to have the experience within the right industry (Asset Management, Commercial Company or Service Provider). Of course it always depends on the client requirements and on the size of the business. After that the employers are looking for team fit, the ability to work autonomously and the capacity to be flexible in this changing market.
Do fiduciaries in Luxembourg favour professional experiences, studies or competences?
The answer is simple- all of these criteria are essential. Depending on the role that the client is recruiting, studies may be the first point of selection from the Degree to professional qualification. Following that the fiduciary will be looking at relevant experience, i.e. that which has been gained in Luxembourg ideally in a similar environment. This will get you to interview stage and at this point the most important factor is how you present yourself. The client will be asking themselves- do you have the right approach? Are you going to fit with their team? Do you have good communication skills? Etc. Our tip is to be yourself and be honest about what you have and haven’t done- it will work out better in the long run. Indeed even with shining qualifications and excellent experience if the client is not convinced that the new joiner will integrate well into the team and fit into the culture and values of the organization.
What are your top tips for candidates wishing to apply?
If you write a cover letter make sure that it is relevant for the job that you wish to apply for, it is no longer than one page and that you show your real motivations for the job in question. Last but not least make sure that you use the correct letter for the correct job!Use the internet as a tool, most companies and recruiters use social media, such as LinkedIn, Xing or Viadeo to recruit. Make sure that your profile is up to date and relevant, especially if you want to increase the visibility of your profile and be approached. This advice is also applicable for candidates who upload their CV on to job boards (Jobs, Monster…).Focus your job search, only apply for those positions which are most relevant to your experience, receiving the same CV 10 times for 10 different positions makes us doubt if you are really serious and understand what you are looking for. It is ok to apply for a few especially if the skills required are the same, but do try to limit this as the recruiter will contact you with all relevant positions in mind therefore you will not miss out.
(This article was originally published on HRONE)
