Employers value their staff, that’s what every company espouses, but never more so than when an outstanding performer is looking to move on. In these instances, they are compelled to try and keep them within the business, offering everything including the kitchen sink and offering to change the business or role to suit their requirements. Where the employer is left with a matter of hours to make strategic decisions that would usually take months of thought and planning, it invariably is not in the best interests of the business or the employee. 

Alterations to responsibilities or business structure are important decisions requiring thought and planning and input from internal and external stakeholders. Very soon afterwards, the employer is left feeling as though they had a gun put to their head to make a strategic decision that was not in the best interests of the business and that they had not had adequate time to consider. The candidate is left fighting against an ingrained structure and an unfulfilled promise of change in the immediate timeframe.

In essence, counter offers are in nobody’s best interest. There will always be the exceptions to this rule, but those will be where the plans had already been set in motion, the business was already in a position to adapt and change to facilitate what they are willing to offer their employee. Employers, employees, think before you look at a counter offer. A resignation is an emotional time for everyone involved but business is about strategic thinking. Is it worthwhile to change a business structure to facilitate one employee? Is it worth feeling let down should your employer not be able to provide the change that they promised you?

Image Source: The Courier

We all know of and support many happy relationships which began from two people meeting at work, however it is the human resource teams remit to protect the organisation from those instances where the love turns sour. Barnaby’s situation incorporates many of the normal elements we navigate in our roles. Once the relationship is disclosed, we assume the parties signed a conflict of interest disclaimer and the reporting relationship was immediately changed. It would not be unheard of for another department to create a role for a high performing employee that the organisation did not want to lose, as Canavan’s Office did.

Where the media and the public becomes intrigued is whether that was based on a necessary skill set the department needed to obtain or the inappropriate use of power and influence. Not to replace the role when Vikki Campion left, leaves the Office open to question of the veracity of the requirement for the job function within the unit. The Daily Telegraph’s report that the relationship caused ‘serious dysfunction’ within the Deputy Premiers Office makes the hair on any practitioner’s arms stand up. Such financial and reputation repercussions in our world could be catastrophic for the organisation and could have legs in front of Fairwork.

The other element is Barnaby using his considerable weight to add to the same sex marriage debate as he performed the most grievous of insults to the sanctity of marriage. The hypocrisy adds to the already painful memories for the LGBTIQ community with the public questioning of their basic rights. If Barnaby was an Executive in our firm, HR would prohibit the public messaging and championing of an issue by someone we knew not to be living the values…. If we knew a member of staff was not supportive to minorities, we wouldn’t put them on our Diversity Committee. If we knew a member of staff committed theft, we wouldn’t make them our CFO. You get my point as to the idiocy of making him a spokesperson for the traditional views of marriage (albeit not that many Gen X’s and younger care as much as our predecessors about people leaving unhappy marriages, but then again, we weren’t on a nationally broadcast soapbox espousing the virtues of it before going home to our mistress.)

Certainly, what we wouldn’t do in HR is put them up as any type of Ambassadors of a set cause. No one is inviting Don Burke to be a Male Champion of Change or Wayne Carey to represent White Ribbon for similar reasons. In our personal lives, if it concerned one of our friends, many of us would say ‘it is a private matter’ much like many politicians are doing from Julie Bishop to Darren Chester. It is lovely to have such a ‘bro code’ of what happens in Canberra stays in Canberra but not for the workplace. While the opposite tack of scandalous gossiping may have its own ramifications in line with organisation harassment and bullying policies, to suggest a relationship between a senior member of staff with someone significantly junior in age and job level is a ‘private matter’ would not fly in any Australian Business I know of. Politicians of all people are not exempt from such scrutiny, just ask Stormy Daniels.

The intertwining of business and personal is one of the largest challenges HR departments deal with and at worst is linked to repeated tardiness, drops in performance or factions in team dynamics. The Christmas party has long been the most dreaded event on the HR calendar for this reason. As HR practitioners we tread carefully and consciously, gently ensuring all staff understand their obligations and responsibilities as values led employees. And we trust them to adhere to such standards, without ending up on front page news with our logo in the background.

Written by Amy Cato

Whilst it was often risqué, I viewed this as non-sexual banter. My personal favourite was being asked for 3 meters of fallopian tube to which I replied, “you’re a brickie not a plumber”. Banter on site is inevitable. The line however can get blurred and some women aren’t as lucky as I was. Winslow Constructions, for example, have just lost a court case where a woman was harassed on site. I applaud Kate for standing up for herself. You can read more here.

Let me introduce you to a pioneer, Lillian Gilbreth. She paved the way for many to come after her. She became the first female member of the American Society of Mechanical Engineers in 1926. She made her mark in the Industry and is still remembered today for her amazing achievements in a time where “jobs” were typically being a “lady” and a wife.

 In 1944 – during WW II the Waterloo Bridge had over 25,000 women working in the construction industry. They were either labourers, brick layers or joiners. Sadly, women were paid 25% of the male wage AND they had to give their jobs back to the male workers when they came back from the war, but that’s another blog…. Fast forward 4 decades.

In speaking to my father – who runs his own Engineering business, he said in the 80′s he never saw a woman on site. He explained that sites simply didn’t cater for women. There were no female toilets for example. He told me he certainly wouldn’t want his daughter going into the toilets to see what was on the walls! Where women were employed however, such as in the office as drafts people, they brought different ideas and solutions to the team and he highly enjoyed working with them. My dad, now offers a diverse workplace of gender, ages and races. He has LGBTI staff and provides a safe workplace for all without exclusion. Good ‘onya Dad! He is one of the Good Guys.

Suzi from Rural Construction and Maintenance has this to say of being a female apprentice: “I guess I was a bit nervous not knowing how I would be treated and whether I would be classed equal along side working with men. I found that most of the men respected me and were very encouraging and helpful . As I also was to them. The company I did my apprenticeship with encouraged us all to work as a team and have respect for one another which was great! There was only one incident where I had to really stand my ground in a group of 5 men as they weren’t letting me have a say in the project we were doing and were all thinking they knew it all. Once I stood my ground and spoke up they respected me even more and were most supportive of me.

I feel proud of my achievement and would encourage more women to pursue a career in construction, we are multi skilled and bring great balance to the work site. Change has been happening for a while. It’s up to all of us to stand up and support and encourage each other. I went to a ‘women in renewables’ lunch hosted by the Clean Energy Council – construction of Solar and Wind farms. Some of the ladies were talking about how they were supported by management and encouraged to be the best they could be. However, the message was different for others, they spoke of – Fear. Whilst they are being encouraged to speak up and bring their opinions to the table, they are fearful of being negatively labelled. They are fearful of being ‘a bitch’, ‘ a know it all’. The conversation moved positively on however for those who moved through the fear and that once they spoke up – it was generally well received and they gained more respect and trust from their colleagues. In turn their work was much more enjoyable.

Other women I spoke to wished they had spoken up when they hadn’t. Some were immobilised by their fear of what others might think of them or the reaction they felt they may face. I’m encouraging all of you to speak your mind and voice your opinions – you might have a better way, if not you may learn something! Many of the biggest learnings in life come when we do something that really challenges us. That’s how we grow and develop. The message is clear – The time is now (thanks Oprah!)

Women, we need to hold strong in our opinions, speak up and seek organisations that support us in the workplace and have solid diversity programs in place. Top tier firms such as Downer and John Holland strive for diversity and inclusion. Firms now have gender equality and support associations such as National Association of Women in Construction – More information can be found on their website.

At Selection Partners we are really clear that equality is part of our DNA. We choose to work with companies that support equality and inclusion on all fronts. If you need any assistance bringing about inclusion in your firm, undergo a diversity audit to understand where you sit and then implement positive change – our HR consulting team would be very happy to assist. Me, personally, I am happy to find great people for you, including fabulous women. The time is now ladies and I’d like to thank all the ‘good guys’ out there that support and encourage their female staff. 

To be a good sales person you therefore need to embrace technology and use it to your advantage. Further, you need to constantly seek to learn and be curious, ask good questions and be an active listener.  Having the ability to listen, genuinely being interested in having your client’s/ customers best interests at heart, understanding their problems or opportunities and being realistic about your ability to add value, is key. 

“People don’t buy products they buy solutions to their problems” 

It important to remember that you will never understand your client’s business half as well as they do, so failing to ask intelligent questions will leave you behind your competition.
 
Just as everyone is different, such as; extraverts, introverts, detailed people, those who are facts and figures focused, big picture people, those with auditory preferences (like to hear things), visual preferences (like to imagine solutions) or kinesthetic preferences (feels things, relies on gut feel), sales people can also be successful in many different guises.  At Selection Partners, for example, we personality test everyone who works for us, and within our merry band of consultants I think we have every personality box ticked.
 
If personality isn’t what makes someone good at sales, what does then? When I googled, there literally thousands of articles (743,000 in fact) detailing the traits or attributes of good sales people.
 
Many of the traits or attributes apply to many roles not just sales such as;

• Empathy
• Problems solving
• Self-awareness
• Optimism
• Imitative
• Resourceful
• Personable
• Honesty
• Coachable
• Resilience
 
Whilst all of the above are important, for me what I see as the most important traits which make a good sales person is; showing up and doing what you need to do to be successful every day. Focusing on the activities that make you successful even when you don’t feel like it.  Being tenacious, being diligent and showing up at work being passionate about the job. Treating every conversation like your life depends on it, for me is what makes someone good at sales.
 
Being a good sales person has less to do with ability, and more to do with choice.  Someone with two years of sales experience for example, can significantly outperform someone with ten years’ experience, if they do what needs to be done more often and consistently. “Hard work beats talent when talent doesn’t work hard”.
 
If you choose to spend your time doing the ‘right things’ then you will be a good, if not a great sales person. It’s really simple, and I watch it unfold every day at work.

First impressions are often founded on the quality of your handshake; was it too hard, too soft, too cold, clammy, sweaty or just right?  The question therefore that comes to my mind is, “What is a good handshake?”.  Everyone has their own options and preferences as to what makes a good or I dare say perfect handshake. The common traits of a handshake that most people can however agree on are; ones we don’t like, ones that leave us feeling confused and wondering “what was that?”

Handshakes that leave us feeling underwhelmed are;

• The Soft: when someone shakes your hand and it feels like a limp limb, like that scene from Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets where Lockhart removes all the bones from Harry’s arm.
• The Clammy: when someone shakes your hand and it is cold, wet or sweaty and feels like you’re holding a dead fish in your hand.
• The Fall Short: when someone only meets your hand with their fingers and doesn’t meet your palm with theirs. This one makes you wonder whether you stuffed it up or they did, or if you’re supposed to kiss their hand?  This is worse if it’s clammy or soft. 

What’s left is the bone crushing and hard handshake, I feel this is perceived differently depending on your industry, your circumstances and the industry of the person you are shaking hands with.  For example; within the construction industry and alike, a hard handshake could in fact be considered quite acceptable and a sign of self-assuredness.

Alright, after considering the bad and the ugly, we must consider the good or perfect handshake. For me this is a firm tempered handshake that in turn exudes confidence.  This could be debated as perfect, however as a handshake it leaves a good positive impression.

The key is to keep in mind that how you shake someone’s hand may considerably impact your first impression and not necessarily for the best. 

Written by Desiree

Firstly I need to say that my response to this question differs on the hat I am wearing i.e. that of an executive recruiter, a company hiring manager or a career coach.  I don’t mean to cause confusion but some people in hiring positions see value in the cover letter whilst others simply don’t.  As a candidate trying to secure a role, what do you do then? 

When pushed for an answer I would say include a short cover letter and ensure it’s tailored to the needs of the person reading it.  There is certain information you can include in a cover letter that recruiters find immensely valuable. When sending a cover letter to a company hiring manager or Human Resources Manager, there is information you can include to differentiate yourself from the rest of the applicants for the role. The standard ‘please find my resume for your consideration’ just doesn’t cut it anymore – sorry!

If you want to write a cover letter when you apply for roles, I have written an article on our website which details what information to include, how to present it, how to position your experience and provide a sample letter. You can download this for free, just pop onto the website, it’s under the Resources section, then information bulletins.  There are lots of other information there which you may also find interesting.   

www.selectionpartners.com.au/resources/information-bulletins

P.S. I would suggest that only 10% of  recruiters ever read cover letters, so if you are labouring over a cover letter for a recruiter, don’t worry just ensure your CV sells your experience and skills effectively! 

1. Set goals. Even if you’re not in the habit of setting goals, make a point to identify where you are now and where you want to be by the end of the year. This may involve career goals, learning goals, fitness goals, whatever is important to you – plan a goal and breakdown how you are going to achieve it.

2. Document your successes. Take stock of your accomplishments. Make a list of what you’ve done so that when you are applying for a new role, internally or externally you have  accomplishments to discuss.

3. List new skills you want. You’ll likely need new skills to move ahead with your career plans, so think about how you can get them. Talk to your manager to determine if there are ways you can augment your current skills by participating in new projects or attend courses or have coaching.

4. Manage your brand. We all have a brand; make sure that your reputation speaks for itself. Make sure your online profiles (LinkedIn, etc) feature the information you want people to know about you.  Think also about your personal brand at work.

5. Break out of your rut. Is it time to take on something new? If you’ve been doing the “same old thing” for years, now may be the perfect time to plan for a change. New hobby, new sport, new haircut???

6. Network – join a professional association or take a more active role in one where you are a member. Professional organizations provide many opportunities to volunteer and take on leadership roles. Look for a small job to start, and plan to ramp up your involvement, especially if you have career aspirations that involve using leadership skills.

7. Say Yes. Give new things a go. Try your best to be open to new ideas and new ways to do things – say “yes” more than “no” at work when it comes to suggestions, ideas or projects.

With the business world talking about agility, failing fast and moving on, maybe we don’t need to plan too much anymore. Maybe if we plan too much, we are in fact only planning to fail, because we don’t take advantage of opportunities as they arise? Who knows?

My advice for 2018 is simply to have a goal. Think what you want to achieve then be flexible about how you achieve it. Life is not a straight line from a to z, nor should it be. The fun is in the ups and downs and the roads to the right and left. As long as you are moving ahead, life is good.

Learn, grow and enjoy. All the best for 2018…

If career advancement is one of your goals for this year then talk to us about career coaching. Whether you’re looking to move on to new and exciting challenges or to take the next step with your current organisation, a career coach can help you ensure that you’re on the right trajectory.

The right coach can also help you to identify any ‘derailing’ behaviour holding you back or help you to identify hidden talents or skills that will help you move forward.

To find out more about career coaching and how it could benefit you in 2018, read this article or contact us for a chat.

I am a big fan of looking forward.  From a pure economic point of view, the world is in a good place.  Every major economy in the world is starting to perform at pre GFC levels.  Locally we have a lot of cranes in the sky and holes in the ground.  Couple this with governments, both State and Federal, investing heavily in infrastructure; we are set for a few good years.

The employment rate is approximately 5.5% and this is predicted to drop further.  We observe wages in the mid to senior markets slowly move up.  From a recruiting stand point this puts pressure on finding good candidates, because they are employed, engaged, and paid well.  One solution, as a lot of commentators agree is to remove the tightening of the 457 Visa.  I personally think the politicians need to stop playing “politics” and start leading.

Like Australia punches above its weight, so does Selection Partners.  When I reflect at the work we have done in Advisory and Recruitment, I’m filled with pride.  I look around and see a wonderful group of human beings that I spend of my days with.  Therefore looking forward, I know that the coming years will be bright, not only for Selection Partners, but also for those that we work with, our customers and candidates.

We wish you all the best for 2018 and hope it’s filled with much success.

The Selection Partners Sydney Office capped off a great year with a celebration in style at the Workclub Sydney Offices. A live band entertained guests whilst Ken and Domenica mixed up a storm (and a mean negroni) at the bar. Guests revelled well into the night.

Selection Partners Principal in Sydney Amy Cato said ‘we are really proud of what the Sydney office  has built in such a short amount of time. 2018 is already looking busy with recruitment and diversity consulting pre booked so we took this opportunity to let our hair down and reflect on the success of the past year.’

She also noted it had been an interesting year from a global point of view with a mix of wins and setbacks in the diversity space. ‘We need to stay focused on doing what is right for society and the business community which is to advocate and advance equality and not be swayed by obstacles in the course. I have had moments over the past 12 months of being disheartened, but when I look to Australia’s YES vote, the much needed exposure caused by the #Metoo movement and some wonderful key appointments in Australia such as Raelene Castle, Elizabeth Gaines and Gabby Costigan I feel optimistic for the future.’

Meanwhile in Melbourne… a festive themed lunch, followed by nerf gun wars was a great ending to a year of hard work and triumphs. 

Selection Partners  wishes everyone a happy and safe festive season.