Moir Recruitment News

Moir Group is proud to present to you our first video in our new series "Corridor Catch Ups" 

How to Stand Out From the Crowd - Job Interview Tips from our experienced consultants Joe Parsons & Anna Hall, Moir Group 

Experience on Tap! by Karen Ryan, Director Temporary and Contract Recruitment 

At Moir Group we see great value in experience.   Even internally, we have many mature, experienced people working across all areas of our business.  Our team all work well together, we add value to each other no matter what their age or the stage of their careers and we all learn from each other. This is one of our secrets to success. 

Recently we have placed a candidate who offered a wealth of experience in activity based costing, project and change management, stakeholder engagement and who was a qualified and highly experienced finance professional.  He was easy to help because he was flexible on location, rate and the length of contract and came with excellent references.  He was also extremely grateful for the opportunity to work and he promised to deliver and add value to the client.  His attitude was extremely positive and he offered many years of experience.  He will be highly successful in helping our client understand the changes needed in their organisation and then he will easily gain their respect internally and externally to implement these changes. We didn’t ask his age or even know it until we had to do a police check as part to the client’s HR policy and only then we discovered that our candidate was 72.  He has the attitude and passion and energy and experience to perform and deliver and that is all that matters to our client and us.

Our candidates come in all ages and stages!

Another candidate we placed in a highly specialised Procure to Pay Project was in her late 60’s.  Again we only knew her age when the client needed a date of birth for internal system log on. They actually thought we had made a typo! Her references were strong and showed someone with a no-nonsense approach who gets on with people in a direct and effective way and gets results.  There is no time wasted on Facebook, chatting, or on office gossip. She simply does a good job, with a strong work ethic and years of experience in the area our client needed.

You are well aware the population in Australia is ageing.  Retirement age has been stagged to increase to 67 by 2023.  There are talented people available that you can tap into.  By not noticing or using these skills, your company is missing out on valuable resources.  Everyone reading this, will be part of this pool of candidates either now or in the future. I hate to be the one to point it out, but if you aren’t already, you too will be in the over 40 age bracket at some stage.  Chances are when you are in your 50’s, you may find yourself out of work yet still willing and able to contribute.  So hiring managers of today, HR professionals and recruiters, you need to be open to this source of candidate because one day soon, it could be you who are offering your experience to the market.

Politicians, judges, scientist and professors; they often do their best work in their senior years.  Think of Nelson Mandela, Albert Einstein and even Barack Obama born in 1961, and then there is Charles Darwin who was in his 50’s when his “Origin of Species” work changed science forever back in 1859!  Think of famous musicians who never stop, Pavarotti and Tom Jones just to name two!

Moir Group recently hosted Dr Roger Collins who spoke for us on the very popular topic of leadership. Roger asked the very captive audience the question, “Leadership: Where Did We Lose Our Way & How To Get Back On Track”.

Roger discussed tightening our overall leadership terminology and discussed the 3 levels of leadership:

1. Self – this will become more important as individuals need to respond

2. Team/corporate/individual – The is a primary focus and the psychological aspect is very dominant in this field

3. Shared/collective – Roger spoke about the case study of McDonalds and the CEO Charlie Bell and his impact on a collective and a shared leadership approach, backed up by the core values within the McDonalds company

He advised us to consider moving away from a normative and idealized leadership, this is low narcissism with high humility as well as a level of spirituality and authenticity. Then moving to a descriptive approach, which is a much more task orientated and problem solving style, developing relationships, advocating change and always looking externally to network, and successfully and confidently represent your brand. Try not to think of leadership as a single causal factor. Ensure your organization is aligned with your culture, policies and practices with the outcomes that you expect of your leaders.

Overall Roger believes that most leadership behavior can be learnt and although leadership potential and aspiration can be identified early within individuals, your organizational culture plays a big role in the development of your future leaders. As well as this, the timing of their development is significant as results can be short term but development may be longer term. You need to have persistence and also patience in developing your leaders. Leadership is developed more effectively from actual experience rather than formal training and education, think of the 80:20 rule.

Overall, shift your emphasis away from formal development to strategy and issue related at work development with reflexivity. Build a community of strong leadership practice and also increase the robustness of the evaluation of your future leaders.

“Edison didn’t invent the light bulb by upgrading the candle” So whatever you are doing now probably needs a fundamental rethink and change.

Thank you to everyone who came along to this event, if you would like more information on upcoming events please head to our Events Page and join our community by liking us on Facebook, following us on Twitter and connect with us on LinkedIn to stay up to date.

What is networking?

Networking is the most effective means of accessing the hidden job market. Did you know that 70% of today’s jobs are gained through networking and using your own contacts. Networking is about building relationships, sharing information and finding sources of support, and is an ongoing life skill, not just something you do when you want something. Your best advocates are people who know you, worked with you previously and who can refer you on to new contacts.

Benefits of Networking

The more people you know, the more people you can influence. Always remember your connections will also have connections, giving you an even wider network. You never know who people might know - this is very important! Exchanging information allows new insights you may not have thought of. Expanding your contacts can open doors to new opportunities. Engaging with your contacts, means you sow the seeds for reciprocal assistance when you need help. The most successful people share information. Offer to help others out, people remember this and people will return the favour. Use the principle of 'what goes around comes around'. Ask people: "How can I help you?" and "What can I do for you?" Doing this also lifts your self-esteem and puts you into a more positive mind set.

How to build the best network 

Start with people you trust and respect that have similar values to you. This may be current work colleagues, ex-work colleagues, close friends, University friends, family friends, contacts through sports clubs, contacts through your kids schools etc. Approach them for advice, in general most people will be happy to help. Ask your current contacts for referrals, this is an easy way to build your network. Offer to help people, as what you give out will come back. Keep all your contacts on Linkedin then you will never lose their details.

Always let your network know that you are looking for a job. Spread your “feelers” as far as possible and always thank people for their help. You can also ask friends or contacts to refer you into their current employer or ask them for a contact you can approach directly. Be aware that many companies have a monetary referral bonus they pay to internal staff.

It’s all about quality not necessarily quantity. Some of the best-connected entrepreneurs don’t have the biggest networks or the highest number of connections on LinkedIn. Instead, they might work with a smaller, tightly knit groups of connections.

Before you approach people for advice the number one thing is knowing what you want, it is much easier for people to assist you if you know what you want. Always be positive and grateful, thank people for their help and aim to help them in return in some way. If you are unemployed then treat this as a full time job. If you are employed then dedicate at least an hour a day to building your network.

Networking is not always a natural thing to do for many people, but it will help you and is definitely worth making the effort to do consistently.

Congratulations ! 

Your well written resume has helped you secure a job interview. How you perform at the job interview is crucial, and will ultimately decide if you are successful in securing a job offer. To increase your chances of success, ensure that you are well prepared. 

Importance of Research and Planning

This is one of the most important areas of the job interview. Even if you have been told it is just an “informal” meeting, turning up unprepared can completely jeopardise your chances of any job opportunities within the organisation. Therefore, prior to your interview, ensure you do your research.

1. The Company

You may know who the company is, but it is up to you to ensure you have a detailed overview of the company structure, values and vision and market positioning.

Be sure you know what the company does, and its range of products or services.

Check out their website, and also do some Google searches so you have up to the minute information

2. The Industry

Look for any industry-specific news. Who are their main competitors?

What are their competitors doing and how do they rank compared to their competitors? What industry trends are happening in overseas markets?

3.  The Position

Thoroughly read the job description.

Ensure you know your own resume very well and how it relates to the job description. As you read through the key competencies of the job description, think of some examples where you can demonstrate previous experience that reflects these competencies.

4.  The Interviewer

Research the person who will interview you and look at their LinkedIn profile. Find out if there is anything you have in common, for example, you both worked at the same company in the past or you both went to university at the same time.

Practical preparation

It is common sense, but always ensure you know where you are going and where the company is located. Can you park, or is it best to get public transport?

Aim to arrive approximately 10 minutes early for the interview. Any earlier than this and it’s best to go and get a coffee before you turn up at reception. Ensure you have the contact details, including direct telephone number, of the person you are meeting.

Smart presentation is also of the utmost importance. If in doubt, err on the side of conservatism.

Asking Questions

Towards the end of the interview you will usually be asked if you have any questions. Aim to ask some open questions, thinking about how you can add value to the organisation.

At first interview, always avoid any questions about salary. These can be asked later in the process.

Some questions you could ask include:

• What are the key goals and objectives for the role in first 3 to 6 months?
• Why is the role available?
• Where would you see this role in 3 to 5 years?
• How would you describe the company/team culture?
• What makes a person a success at the company?

Final Tips

Think about your interview as an exciting next step. Be positive, have a firm handshake, make good eye contact, smile and believe in yourself.

And finally - good luck!

For further information on interview preparation you can contact your Moir Group consultant or our Head of Learning, Angela Farmeary on angelafarmeary@moirgroup.com.au or tel 02 9262 4836

At our recent lunchtime event we were delighted to have guest speaker Sean Spence speak to our candidate community. Sean’s topic was “how do you stay positive when you are going through a career transition?” What things do you need to do every day that will keep you positive?

Asking yourself “How am I going?” is an important first step. Sean then uses a framework he calls FEROCITY, which is shorthand for considering 8 possible strategies that really can work for you.

Focused – You must have a target or targets, think about how you choose them and what works for you. For example, Sean will retreat to a coffee shop, where everything is taken care of for him and there is no interruptions from family or friends. This enables him to be in the moment and stay focused on his target for the day

Energised – What do you do about your energy? Think about your physical, mental, emotional and also spiritual energy. Reflect on what is your meaning and purpose in life, what is it about your whole being that keeps you on “song”

Respected – Respect yourself! What are you good at? Find the most influential person you know and catch up with them and ask their opinion and feedback of you. Be vulnerable, trust them and really listen to their feedback

Organised – It not about time management but more about rhythms and pacing yourself. Think about your circadian rhythms, what parts of the day do you work best? Are you a morning person or an evening person? Understand your own rhythm and make your day work according to this

Caring – Without caring about people and issues, you’ll have no followers and your leadership and impact will be diminished. On the flip side, you also need to be cared about and include your family, friends and colleagues in this. Empathy is a very powerful force to create engagement with others.

Innovate – To innovate you need a target, a process and a reason. You can only actually innovate on “something”. Know what you need in terms of the rate of change you can tolerate

Timeframe – When your timeframe is out of whack, when you are buried in fighting fires and seem to have no connection to your future and cannot look ahead. Are you trying to just exist and get through day to day?

Youthful Passion – When you are in touch with your youthful passion there is something very charismatic about this. People will follow you, your impact is enhanced and this makes your career more sustainable. When you are attached to your passions you are also a lot happier in yourself. During career transition you can tend to lose your passion and feel lost and adrift. As you are changing and going through this transition, allow the idea that your passion will return

You can also use the FEROCITY strategies to lead your team, monitor and sustain their focus and also re-energise them.

So when you are feeling fragile, flat and stale and wondering how to LIFT yourself. Then stop and RESET and use even just one of these buttons……..FEROCITY   

To find out more about Sean visit www.seanspence.com.au and head to our events page to see details about all our upcoming events. 

    

by Angela Farmeary

Head of Learning - Moir Group

Networking is the most effective means of accessing the “hidden job market”. Did you know that 70% of today’s jobs are gained through networking and using your own contacts, some research even puts this figure as high as 80%. Networking is about building relationships, sharing information and finding sources of support, and is an ongoing life skill, not just something you do when you want something. Your best advocates are people who know you, worked with you previously and who can refer you on to new contacts.

Benefits of Networking

The more people you know, the more people you can influence. Always remember your connections will also have connections, giving you an even wider network. You never know who people might know - this is very important! Exchanging information allows new insights you may not have thought of. Expanding your contacts can open doors to new opportunities. Engaging with your contacts, means you sow the seeds for reciprocal assistance when you need help. The most successful people share information. Offer to help others out, people remember this and people will return the favour. Use the principle of 'what goes around comes around'. Ask people: "How can I help you?" and "What can I do for you?" Doing this also lifts your self-esteem and puts you into a more positive mind set.

How to build the best network

Start with people you trust and respect that have similar values to you. This may be current work colleagues, ex-work colleagues, close friends, University friends, family friends, contacts through sports clubs, contacts through your kids schools etc. Approach them for advice, in general most people will be happy to help. Ask your current contacts for referrals, this is an easy way to build your network. Offer to help people, as what you give out will come back. Keep all your contacts on Linkedin then you will never lose their details.

Always let your network know that you are looking for a job. Spread your “feelers” as far as possible and always thank people for their help. You can also ask friends or contacts to refer you into their current employer or ask them for a contact you can approach directly. Be aware that many companies have a monetary referral bonus they pay to internal staff.

It’s all about quality not necessarily quantity. Some of the best-connected entrepreneurs don’t have the biggest networks or the highest number of connections on LinkedIn. Instead, they might work with a smaller, tightly knit groups of connections. Before you approach people for advice the number one thing is knowing what you want, it is much easier for people to assist you if you know what you want. Always be positive and grateful, thank people for their help and aim to help them in return in some way. If you are unemployed then treat this as a full time job. If you are employed then dedicate at least an hour a day to building your network.

Networking is not always a natural thing to do for many people, but it will help you and is definitely worth making the effort to do consistently.

Click here for more information on Moir Learning Services.

Interview with David McDonald (Chief Investment Strategist, Australia - Credit Suisse) and Stephen Moir (Director - Moir Group)

 Hear David's thoughts on the two main factors facing Australian businesses in 2015.

 

If you are interested in finding out more about the challenges and opportunities facing the Australian and Global economy in 2015 and beyond, please come along to hear Stephen Walters (Chief Economist- JP Morgan) speak at our next event, in North Ryde, on the 19th February. 

Please go to our events page to see our other upcoming events.