THE BEST CAREER ADVICE & LEADERSHIP BLOGS EVERY WEEK
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Employer Insights Should We All Fear the Walking Dead?
As part of people2people’s ‘expert series’, we have invited debt management specialist Angela McDonald as a guest blogger to provide some advice on how best to manage the concerning rise in ‘Zombie Businesses’. Angela is the Managing Director of Optimum Recoveries, a multi award-winning Australian-based company that specialises in B2B commercial debt prevention, management and recovery. Should we all fear the walking dead?Australia is known as ‘the small business nation’. In fact, our economy relies on the success of SMEs which make up around 80% of all Australian businesses. It’s no surprise that when COVID hit, the Government injected considerable financial assistance to keep small businesses operational and employing staff. While these temporary cash-stimulus measures have been a lifesaver in many cases, they’ve also caused the rise of ‘zombie companies’ – businesses that aren’t viable long-term and are only solvent because of this government financial assistance. Now that we’re in October, the Government has announced it is extending these temporary measures until the end of December 2020, and in some instances until March 2021. This may delay the inevitable business closures even further, placing creditors under a very real risk of trading with organisations that are technically insolvent. How many small businesses are at risk of insolvency?The Reserve Bank of Australia recently reported that up to 25% of small businesses would be at risk of insolvency if those cash subsidies ceased today. And Treasurer Josh Frydenberg has declared that small businesses are a particularly vulnerable group, admitting that some will not survive COVID-19. If you’re trading with customers or suppliers who are being falsely propped up by government stimulus packages, now is the time to swing into action and protect yourself from the ‘Walking Dead’. Unlike the popular Zombie series, we’ll never advocate the use of crossbows or firearms to be your weapons of choice! When it comes to business, prevention is always better than a cure, and there are some clever, simple prevention strategies you can implement now to protect your business. Optimum Recoveries’ Zombie Prevention Hitlist1. Be extra vigilant in all your dealings Don’t rush into agreeing to payment plans with your debtors without fact-checking their financial situation first. Register with a credit bureau and ask them to conduct a review of every one of your customers. They’ll send you automatic alerts of any worrying signs so you can act fast. Let us know if you need help.Keep talking to those you do business with – both your suppliers and customers. Regular and open communication can help you uncover any concerning issues before it’s too late. 2. Ensure your internal processes and terms are watertight Get expert assistance to review your current T&Cs, credit management processes and internal policies to make sure they give your business adequate protection in today’s economic climate.Optimum Recoveries can conduct a health check and identify any gaps that may leave you susceptible to hard-to-recover debt. What the latest Government proposed legislation means for SMEs?The Federal budget handed down on October 6 2020 seems geared to provide some much-needed tax relief to both businesses and individuals. This will hopefully encourage Australians to have the confidence to spend in the coming months, providing the financial support that businesses need to keep trading. Here are some key points impacting SMEs: Immediate asset purchases write-off: Any new asset acquired until 30 June 2020 will be eligible for a full tax deduction. The same will apply to second-hand assets, up to 30 June 2021. There is no dollar value limit to the deductions. Loss carry back: Businesses that have incurred tax losses in either FY2020/2021 or FY2021/2022, but have paid tax in FY2018/2019, can carry back the tax losses and be eligible for a refund of the tax paid in the earlier years. JobKeeper and JobMaker: JobKeeper payments look set to wind up at the end of March 2021. The new JobMaker system offers employees a subsidy for hiring new employees from 7 October 2020 to 6 October 2021, provided the new employees have previously received JobKeeper or similar. This is excellent news for P2P and any clients who have been holding off recruiting new team members! More stimulus measures: Spending initiatives are set to be introduced to kick start spending in a range of industries, particularly manufacturing, infrastructure, construction and research. In the current business environment that’s both challenging and changing, Optimum Recoveries can help your business remain viable and thriving. Talk to Angela via the details below, about how she can assist by tailoring robust systems and processes to keep the Zombies away from your door!Contact Angela McDonald and the team from Optimum RecoveriesP: 1300 556 937E: amcdonald@optimumrecoveries.com.auW: www.optimumrecoveries.com.au
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Job Hunting Tips Let’s get LinkedIn Official
Known as the virtual CV, LinkedIn can play a vital part in your professional life.Listed below are some tips to ensure that you are showcasing your abilities online for all the right reasons.Position Title: This needs to match your CV – if there are discrepancies it may raise some questions. Always ensure this is in line with what your resume states and remembering down the line at reference stage your title needs to be accurate.Employment Dates: Crucial for credibility. Always double-check your dates, if a timeline is not matching up, recruiters, hiring managers and employers will have some doubt at the very beginning of the process.City: Your headline should include where you are based e.g. Paralegal Brisbane, Legal Secretary Sydney. This is for searchable purposes. Also, if you are in the market looking for work and someone in your network shares your profile in a different city / state/ country it is easily seen from the outset where you are based.Skills: Keep these updated, don’t forget about this section and expect your employment history to do the talking. This is important when employers are matching a job vacancy to a profile. If you want to be matched for a role in the very initial stages, trying to get as many skills aligned as possible will be valuable. If you only have e.g. 3 out of the 10 skills this may not be lucrative for your job application.Recommendations: Ask a colleague, a previous supervisor, a peer at University to write some words on your behalf – don’t be shy. Rate and review are so common now in all aspects of life, why not benefit from this in your career. It is seen as a form of a reference already on your profile – we all know how powerful a reference can be!Grow, grow, grow: The more people in your network, the more people you will essentially ‘Link In’ with! After all, we are only ever a mutual connection away!Articles: Utilise the articles option if you are fond of writing blogs, this will demonstrate your interests, your passions, the industry you specialise in and may generate a talking point.Content: Sharing is caring! This may be in the form of industry news, business updates, interesting reads. Let your personality shine through. LinkedIn now even has interactive polls – to generate a healthy debate, give kudos to a team-mate, celebrate, and spread some positivity online.Interact: Use your platform to engage, a LinkedIn profile that is essentially dormant is of no use to you or your potential employer. Respond to comments, reply to contacts, have that online conversation, you never know where it may take you.App: If you haven’t already – download the App. (As if we don’t already have enough to scroll through!) However, this will mean it is accessible for you to see updates as they are happening in real time. You don’t want to miss out any InMail’s, job postings, industry updates.Photo: Last but certainly not least – your photo, this is your professional headshot. This will be the image that your potential employer, recruitment consultant, hiring manager sees before you see them, make it a positive solid first impression!When you are applying to a role attaching your CV and Cover Letter – you cannot come to life on a piece of paper, LinkedIn gives you that opportunity to demonstrate you are not just an ‘applicant’ or a statistic. You are a human being, who is worth hiring. Do not waste the opportunity of LinkedIn and the power of this platform. Lastly, let’s become LinkedIn Official, and add me as a connection - Colleen Deere.
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Career Advice Adopting an ‘excuse free’ mindset to get through Covid-19
Let us begin by stating the obvious.Covid 19 has been an incredibly difficult period, it’s been disruptive, it’s been deadly and without a doubt, it has had a profound effect on billions of people worldwide, some much worse than others. Recruitment has been no different, there have been sweeping redundancies, a plethora of budget cuts, and many projects put on hold or cancelled completely - some of the figures are startling. It has been incredibly challenging, however like in any time of challenge, the way you will be defined is how you face it. The ‘excuse free’ mindset will continually allow you to see things with perspective, thus allowing you to take control of, and make the most of any situation however good, bad or ugly it may be. I, like anyone, have days where it waivers, we are all human, but below are two reasons why it has had a great effect on me personally and may just help you through this unprecedented period, and then beyond.1 – Goal Setting- set daily, weekly goals on what you want to achieve. Be this at work, looking for work from a recent redundancy or simply in day to day life. It is important to hold yourself accountable so you know, you did your best and can sign off ‘excuse free’ with a positive mindset. What you put in is what you get out. If you are out of work, set a goal of applying for a certain number of roles, add connections on LinkedIn within your industry and expand your network, write a blog! Be visible, be proactive and most importantly, persistence pays off. Eventually! As a Recruiter in a time of an uncertain job market, goal setting enables me to focus and end the day knowing I controlled what I can control and feel accountable for achieving my daily goals. It is the small wins that keep you going.2 – It makes your success repeatable – When you don’t use excuses as to why things aren’t going your way, you will be able to identify root causes or indicators as to why you are succeeding – KPI’s almost. Chances are if a certain process has worked once, then it will work again. There is no better feeling than knowing exactly what you have to do and being in complete control to get something done, it is a very empowering position to be in.If you are reading this, and it resonates with you, then take action and set a goal. Think about processes and steps you can implement which will help you to be ‘excuse free’, embrace and enjoy the process, and see If having zero excuses helps you become more successful and accountable.
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Employer Insights What is Humble Leadership? How Can It Take Your Business ...
James launched his mid size, Perth furniture business in 2015. The first three years saw a rapid increase in sales and profitability, but something wasn’t quite right in the last two years. There had been an increase in the number of customer complaints. Late deliveries, unfriendly customer service reps, lost sales opportunities and lost customers started to become a trend. Simply stated, James’ business was in trouble.So, James called his managers into a claustrophobic conference room, he wanted answers. "I depend on you people to make this business work!" he barked. "Sales are dropping like a rock, which obviously means someone's not doing their job. We're not leaving this room until I find out who it is!"No one speaks up. Everyone wants to crawl under their chair. James’ not getting answers, but what he doesn't know, is that the answer is right in front of him.What is humble leadership?James’ dictatorial leadership style might have worked when workers had few options and even fewer rights, but it clearly doesn't work now. The simple fact is that in the current employment landscape, workers who report to the "I know more than any of you" manager become resentful. They're less likely to be creative, resourceful or innovative—because in John's world, a mistake isn't a learning experience.That's why an increasing number of business leaders are adopting a new approach, called ‘Humble Leadership.’ Humble leaders recognise their own limitations. They understand that everyone, irrespective of their position within an organisation, have something to contribute.In How Humble Leadership Really Works, Harvard Business Review (HBR) explains how humble leaders (which they call "servant-leaders") develop their businesses by bringing out the best in their employees:"The key, then, is to help people feel purposeful, motivated, and energized so they can bring their best selves to work…To put it bluntly, servant-leaders have the humility, courage, and insight to admit that they can benefit from the expertise of others who have less power than them. They actively seek the ideas and unique contributions of the employees that they serve. This is how servant leaders create a culture of learning, and an atmosphere that encourages followers to become the very best they can."Why Does it Matter?It would be easy to dismiss James’ lack of leadership skills as little more than a source of discomfort for his workers, not something that fundamentally affects the bottom line. The fact is, almost half of employees who work for leaders like James (according to Forbes) are actively considering quitting. This ‘on average’ costs a business anywhere from 50% to 200% of an employee’s annual salary to replace them. What are the principal traits of Humble Leaders?Adopting a humble (ie, inspiring) leadership style, typically means higher employee engagement and increased productivity and profitability. For that reason, it's critically important to understand which traits characterise humble leaders. Although every business and every leader s different, generally, humble leaders share the following 5 traits:They recognise their own limitations: one of the main reasons for start up business failures, is leaders who think they can "do it all." From finances to IT to marketing, these leaders assume their leadership position makes them ‘al things to all people’. As a result, they tend to make costly mistakes that place their businesses in jeopardy. Humble leaders have the courage and self awareness to understand when and where they need guidance and advice, and they're not afraid to ask for it.They seek out talent in their workers: because humble leaders know what they don't know, they make a conscious effort to seek those skill sets in their employees. They're more likely to carefully assess employee skills at the time of hiring, and through ongoing performance evaluations. For this reason, they know to whom they can turn when they need help solving problems.They inspire their employees: workers want to perform at their optimal level when their manager acknowledges the contributions they have made. Humble leaders have no problem ‘sharing the spotlight’. This inspires employees to work collaboratively and give their very best to a team effort.They promote a culture of learning: because humble leaders can admit their own shortcomings, their employees are more likely to acknowledge gaps in their own skill sets. This inspires them to seek out training opportunities to advance their knowledge and their careers. Humble leaders are more likely to make those training and career opportunities available to their staff, promoting a culture of continual learning and improvement.They listen: the best leaders listen more than they talk. Their role in meetings, for example, tends to be that of a facilitator who articulates the nature of a problem, actively listens to attendees' solutions and guides the discussion to consensus. This ensures not only the best solution, but also the buy in necessary to implement change.ConclusionA humble leadership style could be argued, is about ‘doing the right thing,’ looking after workers and respecting their contributions. Effectively leveraged and implemented, humble leadership can be a game changer for your business, reducing employee attrition, while increasing productivity and profitability.
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Employer Insights Do you have an Ear for Sales?
Listening is a key skill in the art of being successful in a sales position. With technology and systems supporting businesses in more ways than ever before, many are (or already have) moved to a sales methodology which encompasses a consultative selling technique. A consultative selling technique is an approach that focuses on creating value and trust with a prospective customer and exploring and establishing their needs, to offer a solution. To be successful at the ‘consultative sell’, it is important to really listen to what the customer needs. Here are some simple listening tips: Silence is GoldenEasier said than done, you really need to employ active listening to hear and understand what the other person is saying. Avoid interrupting them and ensure you ask open ended questions (ones which don’t require a yes or no answer). Write it down: The act of writing something down is proven to influence your cognitive processes by slowing you down to help you to process and retain information. It also shows your prospect that you are interested enough in their thoughts to make notes. Eye contact and body languageMost of our communication is nonverbal. In a face to face or virtual meeting, keep and maintain a decent level of eye contact with your contact. A simple head nod can be a means by which you can demonstrate you are paying attention and are focused on what they are saying. If you are conducting a sales pitch over the phone, acknowledge you are listening with a short “OK” or “yes” until you can recap the conversation or ask a question. Recap the conversationReturn to your notes to paraphrase your conversation, highlighting the key points that your contact has made. This is the time to communicate and confirm that you understand what your prospective customer has said. It is important that you ask your prospect the following questions “Have I understood that correctly?” and “Is there anything else?” By confirming that you have successfully listened and understood what your prospective customer has said, will be the commencement of trust forming. Ask follow up questionsNow is the time for you to find out more information on your prospective customer’s ‘pain points’. Remember to ask open ended questions, for example, ask questions that start with “Tell me about….” This gives a customer an opportunity to give you a longer answer which will tell you about their needs, and even the ‘need behind the need’. Once you have clarity through listening, keeping firm eye contact, asking open ended questions, and understanding their pain points, you’re equipped with the right information to provide them with a solution. You have not only made a sale, but you have also solved your prospective customer’s problem and developed them into another happy customer! Keep on listening everyone and to quote the Ramones “You gotta learn to listen, listen to learn!”
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Career Advice Three things often missing from a CV
Here are the top three areas where job seekers either miss an opportunity to showcase their suitability to a role, or just leave the person reviewing their CV to make their own assumptions. Narrative About EmployerIt is all too common for a job seeker just to write their employer’s company /business name, without any explanatory details. However, unless you work for a household brand, it leaves the reviewer of your CV wondering what your employer actually does and are there any synergies to the hiring manager’s business? This is often a missed opportunity for relevance. A quick synopsis with the ‘headlines’ is the best way to try and draw on as many potential synergies as possible. Include not just what industry in which the organisation operates, but also turnover and/or number of staff, as an indication of the size and complexity of the business.For example: ‘people2people is one of Australasia’s fastest growing recruitment companies. Annual revenues exceed $100m and they employ over 110 staff across 7 offices in Australia and New Zealand.’ By simply adding a few facts, it expands the opportunity for you to demonstrate you have worked in a similar business environment to the one for which you are applying. By including this information for all your current and former employers in your CV, it could also show the reviewer you have worked for a diverse range of organisations/industries and have proven your versatility to adapt to different environments. There could be many other relevant facts to include and it is an opportunity not to be missed. AddressPrivacy has never been more important and it is completely understandable job seekers are hesitant to add their address details. The reality is, once someone has your address, they could look up the value of your biggest asset (house) by simply ‘googling’ it, which not everyone is keen to share in a job application. There does seem to be a trend to just leave off the address altogether. This leaves the person reviewing your CV to wonder where you might live. Unfortunately, assumptions tend to be negative and locational bias has always existed. If you do live within a commutable distance of the place of work, you might be harming your chances by omitting your address. My advice is you do not need to include the actual full residential address, no one actually cares which street you live in, (if they do, you should be worried!). However, you can just include the suburb and it serves the same purpose. AchievementsIt is important to demonstrate your responsibilities and what you were accountable for, however what sets job seekers apart, is the position description, but what value was added. The more you can quantify with facts (objective) and the less verbose your achievements ( often subjective) are, the greater impact they will have on the person reviewing your CV. In addition, showcasing the knock-on effects to the rest of the organisation, will really highlight your value. For example: Increased productivity by 18% over 6 month period, resulting in reduction in costs by $148,000 and adoption of productivity measures by the broader global businessThe next time you are putting together your CV, make sure you don’t do yourself a disservice by omitting vital information which could improve your changes of securing that sought after role.
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Employer Insights Stand Up. Stand Out as an Employer
If recent data that states that 70% of jobseekers are passive, then finding the right person for the job has never been harder. As businesses struggle to be noticed, the key is to stand out, which luckily can be achieved with a little creative thinking. Culture is KeyWorkplace culture (apart from salary) is the most important factor that job seekers consider when looking for employment. This means it is critically important to share your business' values in your job descriptions. This is more than just writing a blurb about your business (although do that too).Be clear on the type of person who would fit in. What characteristics should that person have? Sense of humour, passion, creativity, or sense of adventure are some possibilities. Knowing the type of person, you want; identify the best place to find them on social media, e.g. a LinkedIn group, Twitter, or Facebook group. Establish your business on that site by leaving interesting and insightful posts that show who you are. By building relationships with potential job seekers around common interests, you will receive strong applications once you announce your job opening on the forum. Stand Out on Social MediaRecruiting using social media is increasingly now the way to go. Millennials, operate almost exclusively on their mobile phones, so all your advertisement and job descriptions should be optimised for mobile apps. Not only will your business appear contemporary and forward looking, it will allow you to target potential applicants who have shared interests and are therefore more likely to engage with your job posting. It makes it very easy for people who are not in the job market to share the information instantly with someone they know will be interested, just through a few taps on their phone. Tip: be sure to include a 'Call to Action' when advertising. It encourages interested job seekers to express interest immediately before they scroll onto something else. Experts recommend using a simple phrase with a verb, for the best results, such as “Tell us about you,” “Join our team,” and then link to a page where they can commence an online application. We don’t have a choice whether we do social media. The choice is how well we do it – Erik Qualman Show Your EnjoymentEveryone likes to have feel valued and appreciates an employer who understands that quality of life in the workplace = business success. Video: Why not have your employees make a light-hearted video on YouTube telling stories about their achievements or talking about what makes the business unique. Podcasts: Record a podcast(s) describing the position(s) and introducing potential employees to key colleagues and managers. This will not only set you apart from other businesses and will allow you to introduce your business to a range of potential hires. Those who particularly like what they hear will be more eager to apply and those who wouldn’t be the best fit, will rule themselves out of contention, making the whole recruiting process much more efficient. For more information, you can contact us on 1300 121 727.
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Career Advice This Thing Called Grit
The newest addition on the high-in-demand attribute list. Over the years, the highly desirable attributes that organisations have been keen to see in potential candidates have included commercial nous, hit-the-ground-running and learning agility. Today, the common catch-cry is for this thing called grit. So what exactly is Grit?Well, to start, how come some people accomplish so much more than others? We all pose ourselves this question at some point in our lives – and our responses will vary from wealth to education to just plain luck – but it turns out that external factors play less of a role in success than we may have given them credit for. In assessing the differences between those who succeed and those who don’t, it appears that this character trait known as grit plays a big part. The Oxford Dictionary defines ‘grit’ as: courage and resolve; strength of character. It’s a word most of us associate with toughness and steely determination. It was the title of a well-known move in 1969 (True Grit) and – it turns out that grit has made its way to the top of the ‘highly desirable attribute list’ for the modern workplace of today. Research even suggests that hiring employees and managers who show grit as a character trait, will greatly enhance a business’s odds of success. GRIT Dr. Paul G. Stoltz, author of GRIT: The New Science of What it takes to Persevere, Flourish, Succeed believes grit can be defined according to this acronym: Growth, Resilience, Instinct, and Tenacity. Hiring people who display these traits are in high demand across all industries. Apparently, 98% of employers would prefer to hire an employee with GRIT than one who is otherwise perfectly qualified but lacks these characteristics. To why is grit so important in the workplace, let’s zoom in on some of the character traits associated with grit. Courage – Courage is not the absence of fear, but rather acceptance of it as part of a process. A courageous employee will manage their fear of failure and understand that valuable lessons can be taken away from defeat. Achievement-oriented – An achievement-oriented employee will work tirelessly to complete tasks, but will also step out of their comfort zone occasionally to succeed in their job. It contrasts with a dependable employee who shows up every day and performs their job duties, but never takes risks or shows initiative. Perseverance – Without long-term goals, very little would be achieved in this world, but setting goals is only part of the process. An employee must be able to follow through. Long-term goals provide a framework that give small everyday tasks meaning, enabling us to look at the bigger picture and work toward success on a larger scale. Resilience – Failure is an unavoidable part of life. How a person copes with their failures says a lot about their character and their potential work performance. A resilient employee will take failure in stride, learn from it, and move forward. Excellence – An employee with grit strives for excellence rather than perfection. Perfection is an ideal that is by nature, almost entirely unattainable. A perfectionist employee will be anxious and unforgiving of failure. In contrast, excellence is an attitude which prioritises progress over perfection. Spotting GritThere’s no doubt that education and experience are important, but by focusing on grit during the hiring process, you will make sure that new hires will have the desired characteristics to succeed. Here are some questions that you could weave into your interviews. Answers to these questions will provide a good idea of what an individual could bring to the company in terms of their strength of character. Tell me about a dream you turned into a reality? This can help identify potential leaders who are willing to take calculated risks, seek out growth opportunities and follow through on achieving them. Tell me about a time you failed and how you bounced back? A potentially successful employee will discuss lessons learned rather than deflecting and assigning blame. Tell me about an idea you had to improve your workplace, and how you implemented that idea? This is to see if potential new hires have the initiative, problem-solving abilities, and communication skills to do something proactive. Tell me about a long-term project you worked on, and how you stayed engaged throughout? Today’s workplaces are full of distractions so staying on task can be difficult. You want employees who have tenacity and strategies for keeping themselves and others focused. For more information on how our team can help you or your organisation, you can contact us on 1300 121 727.
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Career Advice 'Hamilton' and the New World of Work
As I write this, the musical Hamilton has just had its premiere in Sydney, the only stage in the world where the musical is being performed.As you would know, Hamilton has been an astonishing success, since it premiered in New York in January 2015. The story of one of the United States’ Founding Fathers and also their first Treasury Secretary Alexander Hamilton, told through song by an incredibly diverse (and phenomenally talented) cast, using Hip Hop, Reggae, British Pop and the more traditional Broadway musical styles. The story of the beginning of the US, told by modern America.The genius of it’s creator Lin-Manuel Miranda having been inspired by Ron Chernow's biography, is in his redefinition of what a Broadway musical is. He performed the eponymous title song for the first time for President Obama in 2009 at the White House and the audience laughed. But as President Obama said at the Tony Awards in 2016, “who’s laughing now?”The success of Hamilton has come from using innovation without abandoning every traditional concept. In the wake of 2020 and as we navigate the earlier months of 2021, the world of work has also adopted the Lin-Manuel Miranda creative approach. Those of us who work in an office, are now returning to work in those offices, whilst also enjoying the flexibility of Individual Flexibility Arrangements. A combination of working from home as well as the more traditional office based work. In addition, offices are also starting to ‘look and feel’ different. The need for designated desk (and office) space has been reduced and the fluidity of ‘hot desking’ and storing personal items in lockers, has increased. In fact, offices look more like cafes, operating on a model of results-based performance measures. So as Covid-19 ensured ‘The World Turned Upside Down’ in 2020, the new world of work we find ourselves in, is the result of a blend of innovation and tradition.Let’s hope it may lead us to enjoy a ‘Hamilton’ level of success!
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Job Hunting Tips 7 Measures of a Great Contractor
No matter what the job or project, when gearing up to add additional expertise, it’s natural to want to have the crème de la crème on the team. Yet, faced with a vast sea of independent contractors all boasting an array of expertise and capability, how do you determine whether you’ve found a good one? Or not? Success in hiring contractors starts, by knowing at the outset, that you are clear about exactly what your company is looking to achieve within the contract. With this in place, the next step is to identify people who fit in well with your company to ensure your company will receive the planned results it needs, when it needs. To assist you identify high calibre contractors each and every time, here is our take on the 7 ideal contractor qualities you need to be on the lookout for; #1 ConnectorsPossessing a natural affinity to connect well with people, the best contractors are the ones who understand the importance of communicating effectively with people across all levels of your organisation. Now – we’ re not saying that contractors have to be ‘people pleasers’ but they do need the confidence to navigate an organisational matrix and work effectively with a wide range of individuals. The skill here, is taking the time to get to know the individuals they are working with and connecting with them to ensure that they’re able to effectively meet their needs. #2 Active listeningThe best switched on contractors are adept at listening. From your conversations with them, they in turn, decipher your real needs out of the conversation. They don’t require you to break things down for them, instead they will listen, absorb the information, ask questions to clarify and then apply the information you’ve given them to complete your project. Poor listeners can derail a project, so make sure you check their ‘ears aptitude’. #3. Solution findersA switched-on contractor can see and understand the problems facing an organisation and will be willing to go the extra mile to offer solutions needed to assist solve these organisational dilemmas. It’s both an intuitiveness with problem identification and a willingness to offer practical solutions that make them so valuable. #4 Outcomes seekersGreat contractors have the expertise to look at the outcome required and develop a process that will get you, and them, there. It’s the ability to be able to break down the pieces of a project, work backwards from the projected outcome and plot the process needed to get the job done. (aka: strategic staircasing) #5 Highly organised and carefully plannedContractors must be able to zero in on the goals rather than scrambling around to find relevant information. When hiring contractors, actively search for those who have demonstrated previous organisational skills with a project management mentality that guided their work. Check they were structured, organised, well-planned and efficient on the job. And check out that they stayed within the timeframe and budget given them. Extensions are prone to be very costly! #6 InfluencersLike great leaders, great contractors have the capacity to bring stakeholders along with them on the journey. Some situations reveal that a brave conversation is needed to highlight errors, mistakes or areas for improvements or alternative solutions. Given the audience might be less than receptive, this is where the ‘rubber meets the road’ in contracting-land. Confident, respectful and diligent contractors are worth their weight in gold when it comes to instigating those awkward conversations that could end up saving you millions. #7 Ego-free Great contractors aren’t seeking fanfare or accolades; rather they are driven to using their skills to get the job done and to do it well regardless of the recognition that they receive in the process. For more information on all things contracting, please call us on 1300 121 727.
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Career Advice 5 Key Factors in Building Effective Relationships with your Colleagues.
Healthy, effective relationships in the workplace are an essential ingredient in both the performance and efficiency of teams and the overall business. Collaboration and culture are fundamental within a business, not only does it boost morale, but it also drives success by working cooperatively and effectively with your colleagues. Humans have a basic need for belonging and connection and we are intrinsically motivated to develop and maintain personal bonds with others. A lack of interpersonal relationships can negatively impact our health, our ability to adjust and our overall wellbeing. We have all experienced, no doubt, some challenging colleagues in our past, possibly currently and most likely in our future workplaces. By implementing a positive relationship from the beginning and mutual respect, we can learn to understand how our colleagues like to work and ensure a concrete foundation is built from the beginning. So what key factors are important to building an effective working relationship with your colleagues? Open Communication: open communication is a vital part of day to day life, whether it’s in the workplace or in your social and personal relationships. Encouraging open communication by asking questions and understanding one another’s needs and points of view, is the first step to ongoing and open communication. Acceptance: Understanding one another and appreciating each other’s role is an important element. Accepting that people will have different points of view and opinions. Being open to learning from your colleagues’ experiences and suggestions, could increase the overall quality of work and output. Trust: Putting trust in your colleagues and being able to rely on them and vouch for them, is an important characteristic when building relationships. To build trust, you need accountability and guidelines. Be clear in setting expectations and also meeting them yourself. Respect: As the famous saying goes, “you can’t demand respect, you earn it.” By delivering when you say you will deliver and being present in the workplace and adding your contributions to the team, will be achieved, organically. Remember to respect everybody’s contribution and different views. Team Player: Ask if someone needs help, be a part of their success and help them succeed. Identify if someone is feeling uneasy or over worked and lend an ear to help resolve or lighten the workload.
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Employer Insights What is Reverse Ghosting
In the past few years there have been regular articles / blogs / feedback provided, where job applicants were not happy that when they applied for a job vacancy, they only heard ‘crickets’ in return! Well, it seems things have changed and it is now hiring managers and their businesses who are experiencing the ghosting phenomenon by job seekers and it is creating frustration in the recruitment process. But it is also making these businesses not only review their processes, but also consider their unique attraction strategies and benefits that they do and can offer. What we are hearing in the market is: People are applying to the role today and when you call tomorrow, they don’t take the call and don’t return the messages A phone screen is completed and an invitation for an interview is sent and confirmed, but people just don’t arrive and don’t let the organisation know Interviews are completed and shortlists created; but candidates accept other roles so quickly and don’t advise the hiring manager/recruiter Applicants confirm an interview and don’t arrive or call to advise of their absenceApplicants accept an offer of employment and before their start date, they withdraw as they have received a more attractive offer or they have decided to accept a counter offer and remain with their current employer In 2020 and with the impact COVID-19 had on so many people with stand downs, redundancies et al, it is not surprising that people are moving quickly when they receive a job offer, whether it ticks every box or only 50 % of them. But if there is one piece of advice I can offer to any candidate / job seeker is: Keep the communication channels open and flowing, you never know what is ahead in your career. You might see a future role advertised with the business that ticks 100 % of your selection criteria boxes and when you apply you are not considered. Most organisations have an HRIS system that they use to assist them to manage their recruitment process. Your application is stored and notes are kept, so when you apply to them again, they can see what has happened in the past, which could affect your future applications. Communication and respect are always key in any relationship, personal or professional, so don’t just disappear even if you are declining or withdrawing from the recruitment process. I promise that a bit of communication and an update will go a long way.
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Career Advice Ditch the "we’ve always done it this way" mentality NOW
Did you know that more than 4 out of 5 workers in the global workforce have been affected by lockdown measures?If you are a business leader, you need to not only reflect on what has changed, but more importantly rethink the way your business operates in order to recover. Recovery will not be static; it will be gradual, and it may be unpredictable so preparing for the ups and downs is essential.We simply cannot return to the old ways of doing business, so a reinvention of the workplace and practices are critical. Change can be unsettling for some while exciting for others. Some people have adapted well to working remotely while others have loathed it, itching to return to the office. Finding a balance or the ‘turn off switch’ has been difficult, resulting in many employees working longer hours when working from home, feeling overworked and essentially leading to burnout. Looking at the positives, COVID 19 has been a trailblazing catalyst for change and has given corporates an enormous opportunity to ‘kill the sacred cow’ and rethink processes.How successfully businesses do this could even redefine their brand and affect the wellbeing of their survivors – their employees.Defining common goals, what success looks like and embracing psychological wellbeing will be the foundations for thriving in any organisation.With a hybrid remote / office workforce, mutual trust in the workplace is vital and can be achieved through open internal communication, setting boundaries and expectations, respecting employees and by living and breathing the employer’s values. Embedded trust builds credibility and engagement and without this recovery will be impossible. Success to an employee might mean retaining their job but to a business leader it could mean low attrition, a happy well-balanced workforce, engaged staff, growth / increased revenue leading to a healthy culture. Culture is incredibly important, as it defines brand identity and helps retain employees. Being connected to the mission and rebooting, resetting, and restoring, has to be a priority. Here at people2people, we have taken all of this on board, ditched the “we’ve always done it this way” mentality and used 2020 as a catalyst for positive change and challenged every step of the recruitment process. Although this phrase is often made with good intentions, we believe recovery and growth cannot be achieved without reworking and revamping processes. In our Sydney office, we have renovated and repurposed our office to include a café, multiple breakout areas and a podcast room promoting internal collaboration. All of our employees have new individual (work) flexibility arrangements, which include a combination of hybrid remote / office routines to suit their needs, which will foster a dynamic way of working and employee wellbeing. On the process side, virtual interviews have been implemented promoting speed and accelerating the recruitment lifecycle, resulting in more job seekers finding new work. Embracing change, promoting a healthy work-life balance, embedding trust, and rebuilding workplace culture, has to be a priority and will be the ‘x-factor’ to retaining and attracting talent, post-2020.
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Employer Insights International Women's Day 2021
On the 8 March 2021, people2people as well as many other organisations, will be celebrating International Women’s Day.This is a day where we celebrate how far women have come on the path for gender equality and to recognise how long we have left to travel to get there. 2020 was tough! Throughout the highs and lows of 2020, we had to rely on each other for support and encouragement. I began my recruitment career in 2019 and have had the chance to work with and learn from some strong and courageous women, many of whom I heavily relied upon for support throughout my first 12 months of being a recruitment consultant. Within people2people in 2020, there was a strong emphasis on celebrating every win (big or small). In celebration of this day, I would like to recognise the ‘Wins of 2020’ from some of the empowering women in the Parramatta (NSW) branch at people2people: “To be honest, there is not one big moment for me. I adapted. I worked hard. I got to spend my time with my family. I got stuff done. I put food on the table, paid my bills, ate too much chocolate. Just like hundreds of thousands of other women out there, I kept as many balls in the air as I could. I laid awake worrying. I tried to give my best to my work and to my family. There were times I failed. There were times I kicked goals. I was lucky and I was grateful every day. Here’s to us – to every woman who did her best in 2020. You rock!” Lisa Johnson - Shared Services Manager “I feel proud that I managed to navigate such a difficult year, and so fortunate to work in an inclusive, forward thinking and diverse organisation that understands that ‘work’ and ‘life’ are not mutually exclusive”Catherine Kennedy – Director NSW “I actually feel like there were actually a few achievements for me in 2020. Making it into 2021, successfully home schooling three children and continuing to work full time. I believe that we have all grown and supported each other through challenging times and I really applaud that. I walked out of 2020 fortunate enough to have been able to retain a role that I love within a company that I love.’Julie Luszczynski - Team Leader “What stood out to me in 2020, was the team that I work with and how they really pulled together to support each other. We navigated the uncertainty as a unit and survived! I feel proud to be part of such an empowered group who celebrated even the smallest of wins and just had each other’s backs when it really counted. So, my biggest win - teamwork was redefined in the best possible way!” Ariane Riehs - Internal Recruitment & Training Manager In the year ahead, I have 3 goals:To be invited to grade and gain my blue belt in Brazilian JujitsuTo complete the last year of my degree (finally) ...and to continue to further my career as a Recruitment Consultant for permanent business support roles with people2people.In 2020 and even now in 2021, I am constantly learning and being uplifted by these empowering women. Along with everything else, these are the main lessons I’ve learnt; always do my best, control what I can control and be myself. So, I believe I will meet all of my goals in 2021, because within my support network, I have a group of uplifting, forward-thinking and resilient women to help get me there. Happy International Women’s Day 2021!
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Career Advice Return of the Project
As we almost enter the third month of 2021 (yes, it’s almost March!) as recruiters you can start to tell what the trends of the year may be, and what hiring managers are searching for, through various conversations in the market. If we quickly jump back to this time last year in 2020, some words spring straight to mind for accounting recruiters such as projects, transformation, or implementation. It was an exciting time, finance leaders were willing to invest in new processes or even ERP’s to remain competitive, maximise the use of their data and improve the overall efficiency of the finance team. For a recruiter who focuses on temporary and contract employment, for me, nothing sounds better. Then COVID -19 hit! Hiring Managers who had these plans quickly switched to survival mode and all non-essential spending/projects were halted before they could even start. In 2021, I’m predicting these projects are going to be more in demand than ever before. With hiring freezes, reductions in headcount, many finance teams were pushed to their maximum work capacity in 2020. As a result, they were truly able to identify what they will need in the ‘recovery’. Speaking from experience so far in 2021, businesses have greenlighted such projects and are well on the way of transforming. As I write, I am recruiting for several project-based roles and I wanted to highlight and emphasise the importance of showcasing your suitability when applying for these types of roles. Although it is great to see ERP projects return, I do feel expectations have changed, both in the criteria from the hiring manager’s requirements, but also from the jobseeker’s perspective. Firstly, I think we have all heard and use the acronym WFH in the past year. This doesn’t mean job seekers want to work from home 24/7, but instead are seeking flexibility. If we have learnt anything from 2020, that is to trust our colleagues and that if deadlines are being met and the standard of work remains high, this shouldn’t be an issue. Jobseekers should be mindful though, that visits to the office are almost always required for such roles as an ERP roll out, due to the amount of partnering with various departments. In my opinion, the biggest requirement hiring managers have, is a job seeker who can offer business partnering and stakeholder management. Many have the technical skillset to implement software such as Oracle, Dynamics, or even MYOB, but perhaps lack in the latter. Sure, Australia has done a fantastic job with our recovery but it’s still a recovery. Businesses are more willing to invest in technology this year but budgeting, liaising with different departments to LISTEN to what actual efficiencies need to be improved and monitoring costs, will still be a major priority. So, for those who ask, “what do you think 2021 will bring for accounting and finance teams?” I use the same reply I had in 2020; projects, transformation, and implementations.
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