THE BEST CAREER ADVICE & LEADERSHIP BLOGS EVERY WEEK
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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 Attracting Talent Post COVID-19
Attracting Talent Post-COVID – Standing Out Against Your Legal CompetitorsThere is no doubt that COVID will change the way businesses engage new talent and how job seekers approach their search (this has already started). From conversations with job seekers on a daily basis, I predict there will be some movement in the market post-COVID, once there is more confidence in the market. This movement will largely be due to firms’ responses to COVID. Some staff are unhappy with the action and speed that their firm reacted. These are the job seekers who will be the first to move. But how are you going to attract this talent to your business?1. Flexible is now a given, not a benefitMy view is that flexible working be in many forms; work from home, part-time options, staggered start and finish times etc. The biggest positive to come from COVID is how law firms have had to technologically adapt to the pandemic with 92% of Australian offices moving to a work from home style and only 59% of those only having skeleton staff (usually between 1 – 5 people to assist with task such as opening the mail) remaining in the office. This means that WE CAN have staff working from home and being productive. Most job seekers want some sort of mix from home and office which means businesses can maintain office culture and ensure mentorship for less experienced staff in person, saving on commercial space and boosting mental health and work/life balance for their staff. Firms that do not offer work from home options will struggle to not only attract new talent to their firm, but also retain their top performers.2. Be proactive not reactive It is no secret that recruitment levels have dropped in comparison to last year, however these will spike and when they do everyone will be looking for the same talent. Competition will be fierce. If you can be proactive and get ahead of the curve when it comes to recruitment, you will have the pick of a larger talent pool with less competition from your competitors. Hiring a temporary staff member with the view of converting them to a permanent member, will be a popular way to recruit post-COVID, as it will allow businesses to ensure they can bring someone on quickly. Ensuring they have adequate levels of work for a new staff member and that they are the right culture fit, before committing to them permanently.Attracting top quality career legal support staff has always been a challenge for law firms and post-COVID this will not change. Job seekers are not applying to roles directly, and are still wanting to be found. Job seeker hesitancy has reached 38% and there are a large number of these job seekers passively looking and are not as active on the market, but still ready to move at anytime.If you are looking for a further market update or need assistance recruiting, please feel free to reach out to me on 02 8270 9715 or anthony.demarco@people2people.com.au
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Career Advice I Make Mistakes ALL the Time!
Why am I telling you this you ask? Today’s world is evolving so fast, targets and KPI’s are a constant trend in managing performance. While I am totally for targets, dealing with mistakes with your work, can result in not hitting target, resulting in added stress and anxiety to your work. However, managing your expectations around this, can change your outlook and performance. I’ve always lived by the rule that you will make mistakes, but it’s the rise from fall which defines you and the fact you even care or try, means you’re already winning. (Chumbawamba – Tubthumping- I get knocked down) always comes into my head when I talk about this. If you do not know what I am talking about, just google it and you’ll know)I want to openly share with you some of the mistakes (to date!) I have made in my career. Not filling a job, due to poor interview technique.It was a few years back; my desk was busy. I submitted a shortlist of job seekers to the hiring manager, who wanted to interview people the following day. With my ‘to do list’ getting bigger as the day went on, I arranged the interviews and sent confirmations. The next day, the line manager called me and was disappointed. The interviewees did not have any clue what her business did and did not answer her questions to her satisfaction. They then chose another job seeker, independently.In a perfect scenario I would have had the time to call each job seeker and prepped them on what I knew about the business and the role, what questions may be asked and what’s the best way to answer. It was a very big lesson learnt. Failing to prepare means you are preparing to fail. Mistakes in an email!Ever been in that horrifying position where you are sending an email to a top customer or multiple people and realising you have misspelled something or sent it to the wrong person. Double check and check again. Mistakes will occur from time to time but take the time to take a step back and check again. Not hitting targetsIf someone tells you, they have always exceeded targets/KPI’s, they are most probably lying. In fact, I would go so far to say they are lying. I will openly admit that I have not hit targets, and I use to get so disappointed. What use is that? It used to worry me to the extent, that it affected my sleep. What a waste of time and nervous energy.First thing to think about is that it is ok! Take a step back and evaluate. This step is not to see why you’re not good at what you’re doing but to find out how you can make sure moving forward you are closer to your target, or even better, smash it out the park. Assess where the gaps were and put a process in place to make sure that next time, you are undertaking what you identified for improvement. You may not hit target the next month or even the next quarter but if you can show that you are doing the right activity, it’s inevitable that you will reach your goals. Secondly is keep trying! Do not give up. Remember why you are doing what you are doing, for that sweet result which may seem so far away, little steps will get you closer to your goal. I am thankful for the mistakes I have made professionally and personally because it has made me the person I am today. I have always found that every problem has a solution. If you are always right how can you grow and learn? Mistakes should be a great learning experience and before you succeed you must learn to fail. If you make a mistake it is your fault, but please do not take it personally. It is a learning curve to guide you to victory!
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Employer Insights The World of Work has Changed
As Covid 19 sends shockwaves through the world, the traditional workplace was forced into a revolution and has changed more in 2020 than it has in decades. Redundancies, retrenchments, reduced salaries, standing employees down, remote working, hiring freezes, a decline in corporate revenue and potential health and safety risks, have all raised anxiety levels for employers and job seekers and they are both forced to adapt to this new landscape to remain competitive. Pre-Covid budgets and working arrangements have all been deemed as irrelevant and employers have had to reevaluate methods of what budgets and ‘working’ looks like, where social distancing is required. In April 2020, 92% of nimble businesses very quickly switched to a working from home (WFH) arrangement for their staff. After 6 months,the challenge for most Human Resource professionals is now how to entice their employees to return to the office as only 9% of staff have requested to do so full time and a staggering 70% want to retain flexibility and work for a set number of days in the office and from home (p2p Post 2020 Workforce Report). A new breed of HR professionals have emerged as Employee Experience HR Experts, where their primary role is to manage everything an employee encounters while repairing a fractured company culture which has been tested through limited ‘water cooler moments’ or employee office contact. Employers who prioritise employee experience today, will win the war of talent tomorrow, attracting and retaining their staff.Employees are feeling the pressure to do more with less as employers monitor corporate spending and cut previously allocated funds for transformation, projects, and system improvements. Consistent pressure to be accountable and produce with less can lead to burnout and as the WFH lines blur, many find it hard to switch off, feeling like they are always ‘on’ unless asleep and often working longer days. Harvard and NYU researchers in the (US) National Bureau of Economic Research released a study that concluded the pandemic workday is 48 minutes longer and has 13% more meetings.Moving forward, leaders need to rebuild the trust that has been lost through making redundancies, and salary cuts and it is essential that they have empathy and compassion and create work environments that match these new sets of changing parameters. Company cultures can be restored without office interactions through story telling but there is no doubt the corporate office has a place and is here to stay. The purpose has changed to be employee centric and a space for collaboration, creativity, and innovation. If you’re interested to know more, please connect with me on bianca.luck@people2people.com.au for a copy of the p2p Post 2020 Workforce Report and I’ll be delighted to share more findings with you.
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Career Advice Why Work Friends are Important
Friends are important no matter what the situation and I would like to go further into why work friends are important. Firstly, having meaningful relationships in the workplace may be a psychological necessity. There is also a suggestion that we rank friendships and social interaction on a similar level to that of food, shelter and safety. With the average (official) working week being 38 hours, almost a quarter of our adult lives are spent at work. Based on these figures alone, it is more likely that you will see your colleagues more often than your non work friends and in all likelihood, establish strongfriendships. Here are a few reasons why it’s so important to have workplace friendships: Performance - People with friends at work are 27%* more likely to be on the same path as the company andeager to performMental health - Strong interpersonal relationships are found to improve levels of depression andanxietyLoyalty – More than 50%* of workers feel an increased sense of loyalty when they work within anorganisation with an empathetic cultureEffectiveness – Studies have shown that teams who have had more experience together than ones who haven’t;made fewer errors when under pressureHealth – A study of over 10,000 people revealed that having few or no close friends increased the risk ofhaving a heart attack by about 50%* *Here are just a few examples of why work friendships are so important, there are so many more out there, but the figuresabove illustrate how crucial workplace friend circles can be. If this is a topic that hits close to home and you have further points to add, or if you just wish to chat about themarket, please feel free to reach out to me on (02) 8270 9778 or james.moore@people2people.com.au
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Career Advice Genuine thanks and why it’s important
Speaking with candidates every single day, I always ask them ‘what specifically is important to you in your next role’ and a great majority of the time their response reflects being appreciated by their employer. The fact is that receiving appreciation and acknowledgment from your employer, not only makes you feel good about the work you have put in, but also encourages you to achieve great results each time. It is important to acknowledge where hard work is put in by staff and that your employees and colleagues feel valued. Receiving recognition in the workplace improves productivity, workplace morale and staff longevity. Keeping in mind, it is important for this to be a genuine thanks. Why? Because if an employee believes that you are not genuine, this can have a complete reverse effect on what I have just stated above. If you are being ingenuine with an employee or colleague who has produced fantastic work, they will not actually value and appreciate your acknowledgment and this can result in lack of motivation in the workplace. When giving recognition and appreciation, to ensure that it is genuine, you need to explain why you are thanking this person. What task have they completed and what results have they produced? You can even go as far as to say how them completing this task or the results they have produced actually benefits you and the team. There are many ways in which you can say thanks to an employee or colleague. A few suggestions are listed below:Free lunchHalf day of annual leaveWellbeing benefitsOffice trophyEmployee of the monthA simple thank you You don’t have to break the bank to acknowledge where hard work has been put in, you just need to ensure that you are providing a genuine appreciation and thanks. I am a Legal Support recruiter based in Sydney and I can absolutely say first hand from experience, when you receive that acknowledgment and appreciation it motivates you and impacts the rest of your day in a positive light. One example I can give is that, we successfully placed a candidate in a role who I had sourced and interviewed months prior. The perfect opportunity became available and the second I heard about the role I suggested this candidate for the position.They went through the interview process, we completed references and this candidate was successful and was offered the position. Not only was I very pleased and excited that we were able to place this candidate in their dream role, I received recognition from my colleague regarding the speed in which I had suggested this candidate, being a one week turnaround from when we were briefed on the role to the candidates offer. There is no doubt that when someone says thanks, you feel appreciated and that is exactly how I felt.
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p2p News Sydney's Hidden Beaches - My Top 5
We all know of the famous beaches across our beautiful coastline, in NSW, however I wanted to share some little gems dotted around Sydney Harbour, that you may not have stumbled upon just yet! 1. Chinamans Beach (pictured) – MosmanAlthough I am an eastern suburbs local (kind-of), my first and foremost selection goes to a lower north shore favourite Chinaman’s Beach, that type of beach where you look down from the view above and wonder, “Am I in Thailand or Sydney?”It is secluded, quiet and not far from the city, only a 20 minute drive north of the Sydney Harbour Bridge. This is also accessible by public transport on Spit Road, Mosman. Expect to see an Ice-Lolly man on a boat rock up to the shore on those hot days to quench your thirst!2. Milk Beach – Vaucluse Also an ideal spot to watch the New Year’s Eve fireworks, this beach is great to relax and admire the views of the city in the distance, watch the ferries pass by and this is also a pitstop on the Hermitage Foreshore Walk (another Sydney must do). Its calming waters allows you to go for a little dip in the water and take pictures capturing the sand at your feet and with the iconic Sydney Opera House as a backdrop!Yes, you should ‘milk it’ that you are right here on one of the most admired harbours in the world! 3. Queens Beach – Vaucluse I must say this beach is the royalty of all sunset views in Sydney! The first evening I discovered this jewel of a location, it took my breath away and it felt like I was so far from Sydney amongst the calmness of it all, yet the city was almost at my fingertips. Do not miss out on the magical sunset from this view point, again this is also part of the Hermitage Foreshore Walk. So spend your day at Milk Beach and then walk that little bit further to Queens Beach.Another little tip, bring a picnic with you to watch the sun setting and just unwind listening to the waves, watching the seagulls soar and take it all in! 4. Lady Robinsons Beach – St. George (Botany Beach)Of course, to cover all sides of the Sydney Harbour Bridge, venturing south towards Brighton-le-Sands, this beach stretches far and wide and is apparently Sydney’s longest beach, of which I wasn’t aware when I was there! You may be familiar with the Kyeemagh area; this is where we found parking and happened to stroll upon this western shore of Botany Bay. Walking along this beach you will find Doll’s Point and Brighton-le-Sands wharf, which will also take you the length of the pristine coastline. 5. Seven Shillings Beach - WoollahraOnce again this is a beach to be discovered along a glorious walk close to Double Bay and Point Piper in the eastern suburbs of Sydney. Hidden down the end of residential cul-de-sac, this is easily missed! However, if you keep walking down the steps, you will be greeted by an amazing view of yachts and the Sydney Harbour Bridge from afar, as you step onto the sand. This was originally called Blackburn Cove and is in fact just to the right of what many of you know as Redleaf Pool. When you want to escape the hustle and bustle of Redleaf pool during the summer months, venture over to this area to appreciate more of the eastern suburbs! As summer is in the air, along with Bondi and Coogee being paid a visit for many Sydney-siders, hopefully some of these have provided some inspiration to venture somewhere different off the beaten track and explore more of what Sydney has to offer.For some further inspiration feel free to check out my travel blog www.mizzdeereioustravels.com where you will find more travel guides!
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Job Hunting Tips My Top 5 Tips to Nail Your Virtual Interview
With the current climate not allowing as many face to face interviews to occur and an increasingly mobile digital global workforce, video interviews are now the ‘go to’ for most businesses and recruitment agencies.Regardless if your interview is directly with an employer or with a recruiter, it’s key to prepare as you would for a face to face interview. First impressions are everything. So you’ve nailed the application process and secured your first virtual interview, here are my 5 quick tips to help you get the job! Tip 1. Find the right environment and video background.Make sure you are in a place where you can’t be easily distracted or interrupted. It’s vital that you’re in a quiet spot with a neutral background, pick a place where natural light comes through and adjust the lighting if needs be.Tip 2. Adjust your cameraCentre yourself in the middle of the screen at a straight angle with some clear space above your head. Sit up straight with good posture and try to be positioned as if you were face to face. Try not to fidget. Test your set up with a friend prior to interview. Tip 3. Technology We’ve all experienced some sort of tech failure over the past few months – internet dropping out, cameras not working or the classic line, “you’re on mute”.Make sure your internet speed is up to scratch. Record a mock interview and watch it back to check your lighting, camera and audio. Tip 4. Dress to impress Scrap the gym attire and dust off the suit the jacket! You’re not on a team call now with a colleague. Dress as you normally would for a formal interview, avoid distracting colours and opt for tones that are softer. You want to feel good and be ready for the interview. Tip 5. Prepare, prepare and prepare Research is key. Use the virtual set up to your advantage and have notes prepared. Now, don’t read from a piece of paper or have this visible, however you can have your CV on screen or some notes. But keep eye contact and be engaged with the interviewer. Remember to be professional! This isn’t a video call with a friend. If you would like any further advice or help preparing for your virtual interview, feel free to give me a call on 02 8270 9746. Good luck!
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Employer Insights Interview Tips for Managers new to the Hiring Process
“You never get a second chance to make a first impression” – Will Rogers28…29…30...BOOM a job seeker has made an impression on you and your business within the first 30 seconds of meeting with you. It is no longer just about the job seeker selling themselves to you, but also, are you selling the role and business to the job seeker? For a manager that is new to the hiring process, there can be a lot of pressure when interviewing a potential employee. Being able to effectively interview is crucial to attracting the top talent to your business. Below are my top tips to help you through this process.1. PreparationAlways spend time preparing for each interview, it will make you feel a lot more confident when meeting the candidate. I recommend putting together agenda points for the interview which you can share with the candidate to add more structure. Always thoroughly read through the candidate’s resume prior to meeting them so you can reference your conversation back to their CV and previous experience. 2. Build a rapport So many times when I take interview feedback from candidates who have interviewed with hiring managers, they will say “I got a really good feeling from the person who interviewed me, we had a great chat and got on really well”. It makes a massive difference if you get to know the candidate on a personal level and not just focusing on if they can do the job. This will also allow you to assess what type of personality they have and if they will fit with existing staff members. 3. Sell the benefits It is normal for a candidate to be considering two or three different options during their job search (ideally). No longer is salary the most important thing for job seekers, it is the benefits that businesses offer such as flexible working, social and team events, health and wellbeing projects etc. It is important to share these with candidates in the interview, as well as highlighting any achievements the business has enjoyed. 4. Call to actionIt is important to leave the candidate feeling comfortable at the end of an interview, I would always recommend setting clear expectations of when they will be hearing back from you and what the next steps are. If you are new to the hiring process and would like further advice, please don’t hesitate to reach me on 02 8270 9715 or anthony.demarco@people2people.com.au
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Employer Insights How to Rethink your Performance Review in the COVID-19 era
Without a doubt, we are in a more positive position coming into September 2020, with a number of mid – top tier Law firms looking at their support allocation and are replacing business critical roles, adding additional resources and employing temporary staff to assist. Insurance Litigation, both plaintiff and defendant, remain strong and we have more recently seen an increase in the number of vacancies listed within Family Law, Construction, Commercial Litigation along with a number of Receptionist positions where firms are continuing to return to the office. Notably, firms are increasing their Business Development and Marketing activities, along with boosting their IT and tech support, resulting in a number of new permanent and contract vacancies in these teams.One of the main questions I am regularly being asked is,how are other firms attempting to manage employee performance in the current climate?Communication. Regardless of whether your employees are working remotely or in the office, communication is key.Now more than ever, it is important to ‘over communicate’ and be there for our teams. Employees are facing more stress than ever, including family stress, financial, technical stresses from working remotely, worrying about their health, in addition to the pressures you would encounter in a normal working day.Add on the loss of team culture that can arise from working remotely and not engaging with your colleagues face to face and it’s no wonder many are feeling out of their comfort zone and under the pump.Kindness. As Managers, we need to be kind to our team members, understand the situation they are in, and make sure to highlight their wins, even at the smallest level. Outcomes are important, however we do need to be empathetic. When usual measures on performance are not as clear, we need to use other metrics to manage productivity, such as activity levels and the ability to meet agreed outcomes. Other factors such as positively contributing to the team and its morale, are also essential and must be acknowledged.One of my team members, Jayden Cooke, has upskilled and volunteered to be the Producer of p2p's weekly Facebook Live (each Friday at 12.30, thanks for asking!), which we launched during the pandemic. He is responsible for all of the tech and ensures our team are ready to roll every Friday!Our NZ Managing Director, Shannon Barlow sent a company wide shout out for his contributions, which I then shared to social media, to show our appreciation. Performance. During this extraordinary time, where the teams aren’t producing the usual financial levels they normally would, I focus on areas where they are going above and beyond expectations, such as continuing to adhere to our team marketing plan and demonstrating team work and contributing to meetings. As we cautiously move into what appears to be a more positive job market, it is imperative we not only look at attracting the best talent to our businesses, but also retaining those already working with us.Those who have worked hard to get us through what has been one of the most challenging years we have ever experienced.With a strong team behind us, we can then start the steps to recovery out of Covid-19.
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Career Advice Resumes - Fact or Fluff?
The debate regarding the layout and what to include on your CV goes back generations. After a quick search online, there are countless suggestions and “winning tactics” of how to present your information. From my experience in recruitment and assessing resumes, daily I can confirm that there is no one winning way.However, there are some guidelines to follow to maximise the information you present and the way you can grab the attention of any hiring manager looking over your CV. In my background recruiting for temporary positions, speed is the name of the game. We must review a high volume of resumes to a strict deadline, as we have a vacancy we need to fill, fast!This means that having an available job seeker’s previous employment experience, hard skills and availability clearly displayed, prompts us to consider you, rather than working our way through a lengthy resume. The first key thing to remember is that everything you include in your resume, must substantiated and demonstrated through examples from your experience. It is common practise to list several attributes, for employers to see. This includes great team player, adapts to systems quickly, friendly and approachable, ability to work under pressure, etc. All these points are excellent however, if you are unable to quickly and concisely back up these points with proven examples from your experience, they are mere fluff taking up space on your CV. This makes the juicy information (your hard skills and experience) harder to pinpoint and evaluate. I have counselled numerous job seekers on restructuring this section. If they include a long list of 10 personal attributes, I recommend changing this to highlight 3 of their key attributes and to include a small description of how this can be demonstrated. When formatting your CV, your contact details should be prominent and visible.The aim of a resume is to compel the hiring manager to pick up the phone to continue the application process in more detail. There can be a short bio explaining your current situation, availability, and a small piece on what you are targeting. Again, this should be all supported by fact and real world examples, not fluff, immediately giving credibility to the rest of the document. It is surprising how many people do not put their contact number on their CV. I have had several applications over the last few weeks that I was very interested in pursuing, however I was unable to make contact as they did not have their number listed. The section that can sometimes be overlooked is your employment history.This section is your greatest opportunity to sell yourself and what skills you can bring into your new position. It is ideal to create a timeline through your previous experience, including the start and finish dates of each position your reason for leaving. Hiring managers are looking to see if your experience aligns with the position they are looking to fill.If there is ever a time to go overboard with detail in a resume, it is your duties and responsibilities in each role. Ideally listed in dot points, go into detail of what exact duties you performed on a daily basis. Pretend that who ever is reading the document has never heard of what a (insert job title here) and elaborate on the processes you were involved with, with whom you liaised, any documents you were working on and other useful and relevant information. As a good practice, I would recommend listing at least ten different duties and responsibilities that you completed on a regular basis. However, more detail is recommended, as it will provide the whole picture of your experience. As hiring managers recruit for a particular position, they may have a particular duty in mind that they are specifically targeting, listing as many duties as possible gives you the best chance in aligning with their job brief. These few key principles that you should keep in mind, best convey your experience and to sell yourself and your skills through your resume. Always keep in mind, it’s ‘fact not fluff’ to give yourself credibility. Maximise your experience in detail and remember to include your phone number! Making your skills visible is key!
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Employer Insights COVID-19 Employer's Response - Case Study
Since the beginning of the pandemic crisis, the people2people team has been interviewing over 600 senior managers representing 356,000 employees across Australia and New Zealand to understand how employers were coping with the current situation. One response that stood out for us came from Ben Wheeler, Director at people2people Queensland, in his interview with Executive General Manager, People & Culture Adeline Hough from MS Queensland.Here is a case study of how this organisation handled the effects of the coronavirus pandemic on their workforce.About MS QueenslandMS Queensland is a non-profit organisation of about 300 staff which exists to help people living with MS (multiple sclerosis) and other progressive neurological conditions. MS Queensland’s vision is a world free from MS and its devastating impact. For 60+ years, MS Queensland has sought to help people living with MS get the best out of life; to advocate for change and to search for a cure. MS Queensland provides tailored services including: specialist disability accommodation,neurological physiotherapy and exercise therapy, andservice coordination. COVID-19 ResponseMSQ’s COVID-19 response was initiated early, just as alert levels started rising in Queensland. Due to the diversity of the business and state-wide workforce, MS Queensland immediately stood up a COVID-19 Working Group (WG) lead by the Executive General Manager of People and Culture. With representatives from across the business, this group has been instrumental in ensuring a coordinated and well thought out approach across all services and sites. Key COVID-19 workforce risksBusiness continuity, particularly in their frontline 24/7 disability accommodations sitesInfection control and sufficient PPEImpact of school closures on a predominantly female frontline workforceHistorically high turnover rates in frontline servicesIncreasing demand for frontline support workers and limited supply in the marketImpending flu season and traditionally higher winter absenteeism Staff wellbeing over time Their thinkingAs articulated so well by Marcus Engeman’s recent article Psychological Safety - the "Special Sauce" for high performance, MS Queensland also looked to the work of Maslow and the importance of meeting the physiological (where possible), safety, and social needs of staff in the first instance. "We knew that if we took care our people, the rest would follow," said Adeline Hough. StrategyMake sure the basic needs of staff are met (as best MSQ can)Make sure staff feel safeMake sure staff stay connected Tactics Here’s a sample of what MSQ has done so far… Stabilised its workforceMS Queensland fed its front-line workforce (i.e. provided free meals for supported accommodation staff) when grocery items were in short supply and anxiety was high regarding community exposure. Importantly, these provide meals were sourced from local community caterers who were struggling for business at this time.A targeted communication campaign reassuring staff of their job security, their safety coming to work, the PPE available to them, and connecting them to leaders. Enabled its workforceBuilt a COVID-19 Sharepoint site with tailored resources and information, including easy automated workflows for reporting suspected or confirmed cases of COVID-19, and easy feedback mechanisms.Built a working from home App and automated working from home tools to ensure safety, assist with contract tracing, and help with equipment inventory tracking.Extended services to telehealth offerings to customersEducation sessions on how to use technology (e.g. Teams) for business continuity. Grew its workforceBulk recruitment campaigns and employed additional front line staffSet up key agency partnerships to anticipate workforce gapsImplemented a new learning management system to onboard and train staff quicker, and more efficiently track compliance. This has been critical in ensuring workforce can keep pace with changing COVID-19 safety requirements. It also minimises the potential exposure to infection associated with previously face-to-face run training. Kept its workforce connectedUndertook wellbeing pulse checking surveys, asking staff what MS Queensland was doing well and what they wanted. Delivered a wellbeing program aligned to what staff wanted e.g. implemented fun team activities, online trivia hosted by the CEO, online Executive Q&A sessions, Christmas in July events, local team activities, etc. Used a marketing approach to communicate key messages of reassurance, showcasing team successes and fun events, as well as a targeted communication strategy for managers with clear expectations set. Continue to plan for further workforce impactsOffer free flu vaccinations to all staff (not mandatory in MSQ's sector)Structure staff rosters to minimise staff movements between disability accommodation servicesUse historical and market workforce data to project staffing impacts and to scenario planStrengthen partnerships with other service providers and agencies in anticipation potential workforce shortagesContinue to build further wellbeing programsExtended Employee Assistance Programs to the family members of staff Results so far – the highlightsNo outbreaks of COVID-19 at any of their sitesNo staff redundancies as a result of COVID-19Reduced turnover in frontline services to under 2% (from previous 6 month average of 4.4%)Over 81% of staff feel that MSQ has supported their health wellbeing ‘well’ or ‘very well’.More than 90% of staff said their manager had checked on their wellbeing.Over 83% of staff feel confident raising safety concerns with their managers. Over 80% reported participation in wellbeing and fun activities statewide.85% of staff said that the information received and performance of MS Queensland during the COVID-19 exceeded their expectations.Staff rate MSQ’s overall performance during COVID-19 at 4.45/5 starsImplementation of a new online learning management system has saved MSQ an estimated $30k in 2 months. To reduce the exposure to infection, MSQ has also been able to have staff complete 617hrs of training online from home rather than face-to-face.
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Job Hunting Tips A Video CV Needs to Be Your State of Play
Dear Job Seekers, to trump your competition, a video CV needs to be your state of play. For those shrinking violets that are scurrying away, please hear me out as you’re talking to someone that isn’t the most thrilled with the concept of getting in front of the camera either. Exhibit A: if you want a giggle at my expense, head back to one of my earlier videos on the p2p website; I don’t think I blinked once in the entire sixty seconds. Since starting at people2people Melbourne, I was encouraged to video my job updates, market insights and general highlights on a weekly basis, not to my absolute delight I must admit.After giving myself a 5 min pep talk and reapplying some concealer and lippy, I’d pluck up some courage and take myself into one of the meeting rooms. Ten shots later, I’d have a 60 second video that I deemed presentable to the public and then, enter the anxiety hitting process of editing and clicking ‘publish’.Three years on, I am yet to call myself a thespian but truly, I can’t deny the success that I have had with candidate and client experiences that have occurred due to my video content. Without physically meeting me, people have been able to connect with my enthusiasm and passion over the wonders of video technology and most importantly, gain a fast and succinct snapshot of the message I’m conveying.This has undoubtedly led to several success stories; whether it be a client seeing a video of a candidate I have registered on LinkedIn and wanting to interview or a candidate watching a job video on social media and later being offered the position. These successes have led me to think more on the opportunity it poses to you as a job applicant to use video to elevate your job application. Relishing the opportunity to make a faultless first impression, video allows you to erase and edit any potential facepalm moments. It will inevitably enhance your success in standing out in a growingly competitive market. Now that I *hopefully* have you on board, let me, a camera shy millennial, explain what a video CV is and how you can prepare and execute to what I hope will be potential perfection. A video CV is not a replacement of your written resume and cover letter, but an extension of it. It is a video file that is attached separately and is approximately 2-3 minutes. Some of you may have already experienced being invited following your application for a job or graduate program to submit a video answering a series of questions. A video CV is somewhat similar, however the key difference is that it allows you to talk through youreducation, work history and hobbies, whilst tailoring it to the position you are applying for throughout. In preparation of your video CV, think about the set up. Do you have a selfie stick to film it yourself or would you rather have a friend film it? What is going to be in the background and is it appropriate? I personally don’t think it is professional to have a bed, kitchen or a sofa in the background and controversially, white backgrounds aren’t my preference either, as I like to add some character if possible. Ensure that no one is going to disturb you, including any friendly, furry friends. In terms of your script, you want to tailor it to the job in hand, add character and ultimately, engage your audience. It may help to have a script that includes bullet points, so you’re not reading it word by word and in doing that looking robotic. You want to usea script, but don’t rely on it; improvise as you go and make it conversational by imagining that you’re speaking to someone and not your phone. Think about the edge that is required to set you apart from your competition and in particular, you need to be showcasing the strengths you can’t articulate on a resume. These are qualities such as poise, warmth, strong communication skills, a sense of humour, passion and charisma. Here’s a brief structure that you can use as a guideline:Introduce yourself - Hello, I’m *insert name* and welcome to my video CV. I’d like to take this opportunity to tell you about myself and my interest in joining the *insert company’s name* team. Outline your most recent and relevant education history. Discuss your current or most recent position and your main responsibilities. Most importantly, include key achievements and success stories. What have you learnt in this position?Include some engaging anecdotes that would be relevant. What are some personal attributes that you pride yourself on? Finish with a bang - explain your motivation in applying for the role and why you’d be an asset with tangible evidence. Leave your audience with easy instructions on how to contact you. Once you have filmed your video, review it and edit accordingly. Voila, the final step is to click send and wait *impatiently* for a response and feedback. You may be thinking that video CVs are limited to the technology and creative arts industry and therefore don’t apply to you. Admittedly, they are yet to make a forceful appearance in professional services, however this is evolving and I predict that a video CV will become a must-have tool in any job seekers toolbox. Rest assured, you don’t need to be an extrovert to step into the spotlight of video CVs. You do however require some bravery in ripping the band aid off, in order to relish the rewards that come with taking the centre stage. As a Senior Recruitment Consultant, I’m not a Video Editor by trade and am certainly not claiming to be an expert, but I am happy to answer any questions/ queries you may have on Video CVs and how to use them in the recruitment process to your benefit. In particular, I’d love to hear of any success stories in using video CVs, so please call/email me to share them with me - I’d love to hear from you. I’m contactable on 03 9098 7433 and aimee.burton@people2people.com.au
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